


Keep your hands steady

by Sylvalum



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Vigilantes/Superheroes, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Cats, F/F, F/M, Let's Try Teamwork! -pyra, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Secret Identity, i'm back with more crack, some blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 15:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14855265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvalum/pseuds/Sylvalum
Summary: “Studying archaeology?” asks a voice, and Rex looks up with a retort not to touch his stuff--and swallows it.The Aegisis just crouching there casually, holding up his archelogy book. Her face is covered by an ornate white and gold mask, so he can’t tell her expression....his own face is probably saying,what.





	1. Miss the train twice

**Author's Note:**

> I'm journeying through the good sweet land of "canon? what's that?", to bring you all _this_

Alba Cavanich; the capital city, the city that’s always in the news, the city that’s _lit_. Big fancy streets with expensive restaurants and elaborate decorations, enormous networks of sewers and alleys, highways and traffic stops and broken lights – it was an old industrial town oozing with history, it was a metropolis with 3 million residents, it was the jewel of the Ardainian Empire. Back in Fonsett, everyone had wanted to move here…

-now that Rex _is_ living here, he’s not so sure. He really needs to get home right now to finish his homework and cook dinner, and maybe shower, but instead he’s stuck in the underground with a very large and annoyed crowd thanks to ‘technical difficulties’. There’s not much to do apart from holding his bag and shuffling around in place, because there’s people and sharp elbows surrounding him on all sides.

Until there’s not.

The train arrives, and people flood toward it like an actual tide – Rex is born and raised in Fonsett, a fishing village, so he _knows_ how tides swallow everything in their path, just like that.

-Of course it’s too crowded for him to actually get on this train. He’s left with a much smaller group of people to wait another five minutes or more. _At least the trains are running again!_ He tries to cheer himself up with that thought…

It’s quiet except for the rumble of traffic above them, and people are either tapping at their phones or tapping their feet in impatience. Rex waits, adjusting the strap of his bag, and lets his thoughts drift away until-

There’s a shout from the escalators, and at least five heads whip around to stare, Rex included. The shout is soon followed by a brilliant flash of light, and then you can hear running footsteps and the voices of two people, taunting each other. The noise comes closer and closer, a teenager lifts his phone to start filming, and then two figures burst out of the corridor above the escalators.

(-this is the reason why Alba Cavanich is constantly in the news.)

The first figure is unmistakably _The Aegis_. Her white veil and shining green sword has in urban legend become a sign of hope, of resistance: _our hero is here_. She’s a vigilante fighting against the terrorist organisation known as Torna, which must mean that the _second_ figure is…

Logos, her arch-enemy. Covered from head to toe in gleaming black armour, he wields a massive purple sword with a finesse that shouldn’t be possible while wearing that much heavy metal. He brings it up to block The Aegis’s sword, lightning-fast, and kicks at her. She dances out of the way and stabs forward only to draw back and slice his arm instead, and Logos’s sword clashes against hers with a sound that seems to rattle the whole room.

Rex is partly awed and partly terrified, and when the train slides into the station no one dares to move. The Aegis is gaining ground on Logos, but then he gets a lucky hit and The Aegis goes flying down the escalator-

Rex’s heart is in his throat, but then there’s a flash of blinding light-

-and when it clears, The Aegis is slicing away at Logos’s defenses again, at the top of the escalator.

It’s mesmerising to watch. And also very, really, ridiculously dangerous.

…Rex still takes out his phone for a video. C’mon, he’s a Fonsett kid. This is basically a child’s fantasy come to life, battling in the underground with swords as long as his arm…

-When Logos shouts, “This isn’t over, Aegis!” and retreats up the corridor, Rex cheers along with the rest of the station. People start to move again, remembering grocery lists or kids to watch, and the train starts filling up. Rex scrambles to put his phone away so he won’t miss this train too, but his bag decides to pull a prank and notebooks and papers spill out in an avalanche and onto the shabby floor of the underground. Dammit.

Rex crouches down and starts to hastily shovel papers into his bag, but the train pulls away as he reaches for the physics book. Architect dammit.

“Studying archaeology?” asks a voice, and Rex looks up with a retort not to touch his stuff-

-and swallows it. _The Aegis_ is just crouching there casually, holding up his archelogy book. Her face is covered by an ornate white and gold mask, so he can’t tell her expression.

“Um, yeah. I’m studying at Ayvill University…” Rex trails off, and wonders what in Alrest he’s supposed to say _now_. Thankfully The Aegis hands him his book back, so he can busy himself with stuffing it into his bag. He puts away the last of the papers, and closes his bag.

He looks up, and tries asking, “So did you study at Ayvill University…?”

The Aegis hums noncommittally. “Yup. Cooking.”

“And then you… became the Aegis?”

“Something like that.”

Rex is like, 75% sure she’s lying. About at least one part of her story. Though he can’t even imagine just… picking up a sword, putting on a mask, and going out to fight terrorists. Making a change. So… she’s got her life, Rex has got his. And they’re vastly different. (he’s never thought much about what heroes do in their free time before…)

“Is that your train?” The Aegis asks, and Rex jerks to motion.

“It is. Thanks for your help, Miss… uh, Aegis.”

Beneath her mask, her lips pull into a smile, and Rex just looks at it, that small happiness. “No problem. It was nice meeting you-“

“Rex,” Rex says before he can stop himself.

“Rex,” The Aegis echoes, and Rex feels like some sort of deal has been sealed. “Don’t miss your train.”

“Yeah, right.” Rex grabs his bag and starts moving, looking over his shoulder, once. The Aegis is looking at him, still, so impulsively he raises his hand and waves goodbye. And The Aegis, champion of Alba Cavanich, hero of the defenceless, shining light of hope, waves back.

What a day.


	2. Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mythra hatches A Plan.

The Aegis crawls in through the window, which is as always left open, stands up in the cramped living room, and pulls of her mask.

“How’d it go?” asks Mythra, her twin sister, from where she’s lying on the sofa and writing furiously in a notebook. The TV is blathering on in front of her: The Aegis made the news again.

“Logos escaped,” Pyra says, and removes the white veil she has to hide her hair (it’s a bright red colour…), dragging a hand through it. She then starts working on removing the rest of her suit (specifically the white Kevlar on her chest) and is looking very intently at her gloves as she says neutrally, “I met a boy in the subway.”

“Oh?” Mythra says almost gleefully. “Was he maybe… cute?”

“Maybe.” Pyra dives down to take off her boots, hiding her ~~blush~~ face from Mythra’s view. “He was polite, anyway. And he’s a student at Ayvill, too.”

“What’s his name?”

Pyra looks up to give Mythra _a look._

“I’m not going to stalk him! I just want to know if I have any classes with him.”

Pyra sighs. “Alright. He didn’t give me a surname – just Rex.” Handing out surnames to strangers is a pretty dumb idea. Even if said stranger is The Aegis.

Mythra nods, but her expression makes Pyra fear that she’s planning something, but what could that possibly be? There’s no way she’ll manage to find Rex – and that’s _good_. The Aegis shouldn’t come striding in and mess up the lives of civilians…

* * *

A week later Pyra is in their little pastel-coloured kitchen, loading the dishwasher, because the kitchen belongs to her and her alone; she’ll _never_ let Mythra touch the stove again – when Mythra appears in the doorway. Pyra looks up, clutching a plate, ready to remind her where she put that packet of oreos (cupboard above the sink) but instead Mythra says, “You remember my girlfriend?”

“Um... Nia, right?”

“Yeah. So we were thinking that it’d be _great_ if you two finally met – AND I know you’re free tonight.”

Trapped and defeated, in her own kitchen. “The Aegis isn’t free tonight,” Pyra says.

“Yeah she is. You said yourself it’s been quiet this week.”

Pyra puts the plate down, asking, “So Nia is coming over?” Mythra and Nia had been together for a month, and had been chatting for years before meeting each other at Ayvill. Three months later, and wow, Mythra is in an actual romantic _relationship;_ it’s almost like some kind of national holiday. Pyra cautiously observed the situation from afar, happy for her sis… but okay, admittedly kind of sulky, because Pyra’s last boyfriend had been a disaster so now she was single _again_ —

-and somehow, Pyra had managed to never actually meet Nia face-to-face. It’s not that she didn’t want to – Nia sounded really funny – but. It was just… Meet-the-family-s are always, by some magical rule, incredibly…

“No,” Mythra says. “We’re going to her place. She’s got a cat, but you like cats, right?”

Well it’s hard to _dislike_ cats. “Her place…? Where-“

“It’s close to campus.” Mythra looks at her. “You’re coming, right?”

Pyra glances down at the dishwasher. “Sure, I guess…”

* * *

Mythra rings the doorbell, while Pyra waits partly in dread, partly in anticipation. Maybe she should’ve brought… something. Flowers? Wait. No, absolutely not, it’s not like they’re meeting Nia’s _mother_. Chocolate? Food? Pens maybe? Students love pens-

The door opens.

Pyra has seen pictures of Nia, obviously. So her first thought is: _she’s short_. Which is rude even if she didn’t say it out loud, so Pyra quickly says and actually stumbles over the word, “Hello!”

“Hullo,” Nia replies. “So are you two coming inside or what?”

Pyra hesitantly steps inside, while Mythra closes the door. She looks around. Nia’s apartment is a bit bigger than Pyra’s and Mythra’s, but about as messy. An effort had clearly been made, but socks, mugs, plates and books are still scattered around the living room, miscellaneous trinkets and game-controllers, papers and pens and a dictionary shoved in a stack on the table. It was starting to look a lot like Mythra, too lazy to clean, had entered a relationship with Nia, a person who _also_ didn’t like cleaning…

That’s when she spots the cat, lounging on the floor by the sofa.

“Aw.” Pyra crouches next to it. That’s just what you do when you spot a cat, no question. It’s one of those fancy breeds from Tantal, those that seem to be made of 70% fur. _Fluffy_. She turns back briefly to ask, “What’s their name?”

“His name is Dromarch.”

“Dromarch,” Pyra repeats. “Hi Dromarch.”

She looks up, and Nia grins. She slumps down on the couch, and leans over to pet Dromarch. Pyra carefully holds out a hand-

-and then there’s _another_ cat, slinking out from behind the couch.

“And who’s that?” Pyra asks, smiling.

“That’s Gramps.”

“…Gramps?”

“Well I don’t know. It’s my roommate’s cat.”

“You have a roommate?” Pyra asks. _Strange_. Mythra didn’t mention anything about a roommate… And where has Mythra disappeared to, anyway? Pyra looks up with a glare ready, but Mythra isn’t anywhere-

“Yeah, duh. He’s probably hiding in his room-“ and then Nia shouts, “REX! We have guests!”

Pyra has a whole little heart-attack for like three seconds, but then rationale comes rushing in and o _f course it isn’t him, ‘Rex’ isn’t that uncommon a name, I knew a Rex in kindergarten-_

-A door in the corridor leading up to the living room slams open, and then ‘Rex’ pokes his head out, looking stressed.

Oh. Oh _shit_.

It’s him. It’s actually, somehow, that guy from the subway, and Pyra is going to do horrible things to Mythra, she’s going to _murder_ -

“Rex, this is Pyra, Mythra’s sister,” Nia says, marching on like Pyra _isn’t_ dying right next to her, and Rex steps fully out into the corridor, runs a hand through his hair awkwardly and says,

“Hello? So, uh, I’m Rex, but you already knew that…”


	3. With the charisma of a goat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So many stupid things Pyra can't believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still here, sorry about the delay...

_“Hello? So, uh, I’m Rex, but you already knew that…”_

Rex tries a smile.

Mythra’s sister, Pyra, makes a… sound.

Nia looks like she’s about 20 seconds away from pulling out her phone to start filming.

Rex starts talking, because he might as well. “I’m her roommate and... Uh.” The cats. That’s a subject to talk about. “That’s my cat! Gramps. I mean – _not_ Gramps, I just – his name’s Azurda. With a Z. Yeah.”

“Oh…kay?” Pyra says very, very slowly. Her eyes are very red. So’s her lips, too. And hair! _Gosh, let’s not make this weirder…_ “I’m… Pyra. Your cat’s really… uh… blue.”

“He’s a Leftherian domestic shorthair!” Rex blurts out. Because Leftherian domestic shorthairs typically have blue or violet tinged fur and _gee_ , Rex should really end this conversation before it gets any worse, shouldn’t he? “Anyway,” he forces himself to say with a smile, “Where’s your sister? I… borrowed a book from her, so I need to give it back. You know, because I don’t just steal stuff from my friends. Roommates’ friends. From _anyone_.”

“The kitchen,” Nia says in a strangely choked voice, “She’s in the- oh _my god-“_ a helpless peal of laughter bursts from her throat and she doubles over laughing, while Rex makes his Grand Exit, almost sprinting out of the room in desperation.

 

* * *

 

As soon as they’re out the door and Nia’s said goodbye, Pyra turns to Mythra and says fervently, “I need to move to another country. Architect, I’m going to _die_ if he ever sees me again – did you _hear_ that conversation? Did you? And _dinner_ -“ she lets out a strangled whimper. Mythra bites her lip like she’s trying not to smile, and Pyra snaps, “This isn’t funny! Your matchmaking and – _you could’ve told me_! I ruined everything, damn this-“

“Hey wait, it didn’t go _that_ badly-“

“Really? _Really_? He went to hide in his room as soon as dinner was over! I spilled that sauce over him and then _he_ apologised-“

“ _Pyra_ ,” Mythra interjects loudly. “Next time you can make a better impression, but _right now_ we should just go _home_ , and then we should eat that mint ice cream that’s been in the freezer for two months. By tomorrow you’ll have forgotten this ever happened.”

“No. I have to go out tonight-“

“The hell you do. Nothing’s happened all week.”

“Flamebringer’s got information for me. _Tonight_.”

Mythra looks at Pyra for a long moment, and Pyra defiantly stares back. There’s no way Mythra can prove whether she’s lying or not, not in this. Flamebringer knows people in high places, so she usually catches wind of rumours or titbits of intel faster than common folk, and she doesn’t mind sharing if she trusts you. The Aegis has never missed out on a briefing so far.

“Does she.” Mythra says. “For _you_ specifically? I could go, otherwise.”

…The problem with sharing a persona with your twin sister is that she can pull cards like these. Thankfully _Pyra_ is the one who decided to make them allies with Flamebringer, the one who has Flamebringer’s number, _and_ the first of them who got to know that Flamebringer’s real name is Brighid Imbolc. To put it in simple terms: Flamebringer likes Pyra more, _haha_.

“For me,” Pyra says.

“…Then go.” Mythra’s face still looks like she’s just about to accuse Pyra for fleeing, just because she wants to never talk about this evening again ever. (Still – Mythra doesn’t say anything, not a word, not for the whole walk home)

Pyra leaves. As soon as they’re back at their apartment she changes clothes and climbs out through the window, once again using their dear old rusty fire escape ladder thingy, which the city of Alba Cavanich sometimes seem to forget they have so many of, based on the fact that along the mountainside is some sort of large labyrinth made entirely of broken ladders and old rails spiralling down into the abyss. That’s a serious hazard for dumb teenagers – the city really ought to remove it.

-Anyway. She really does have a meeting with Flamebringer tonight.

Pyra wasn’t lying. She doesn’t like lying more than absolutely necessary – it just makes the person _Pyra_ feel fake and plastic if she lies as herself in addition to lying as the Aegis. She likes honesty. If people stopped lying, having reasons to lie about everything – stopped cheating and murdering and Architect knows what – then this world could _really_ get somewhere. It’s already getting better but Pyra wants to help too and-

Well. That’s the Aegis. _Hi!_

Flamebringer – Pyra _is_ really meeting her tonight, but it’s more of a weekly any-new-broken-ribs routine chit-chat than any sort of… scheduled this-information-is-of-utmost-importance meeting. To be honest, Pyra is feeling all kinds of awful right now and wouldn’t mind running into Logos or one of his minions, but just meeting with Flamebringer will have to do if nobody needs help…

 

* * *

 

Watching the sunrise while curled up on trusty ol’ Fire-escape-thingy, Pyra feels a realisation dawn upon her much like the sun slowly rising beyond the rooftops and chimneys. Rex – if she ever in her life wants to talk to him again – he only dislikes Pyra, right. She only made a fool of herself being herself. But the _Aegis_. The Aegis had a very short but _nice_ discussion with Rex – and it could happen again.

The Aegis could hang out with Rex.

The Aegis prods at the idea, at the warm glow of possibility, and feels so strangely exhilarated that she has to stand up.

The Aegis could even know where Rex lives – Pyra is fairly sure Nia is involved in the whole vigilante business in some way or another. The Aegis could visit Rex – the Aegis should probably not do that, actually, if Pyra puts any more rational thought into this she’s gonna lose her nerve but-

The Aegis is going to visit Rex.

It’s not a long way to his apartment, and only in the door does Pyra actually stop to think- _what in Architect’s name am I doing?_

Oh no. She can’t do this. It’s weird, it’s- it’s pretty crazy considering she has met him _twice_. She can’t do this. Emotionally, morally, logically – she can’t do this, she’s leaving, she’s-

The door is opening.

Pyra zooms right past shock and mindless panic and into an eerie sort of calm. Leave, step back, and run down the stairs – she executes it all flawlessly, and proceeds to hide behind the building to freak out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pyra’s and Mythra’s surname is Addams, 'cause they'll likely need one too.


	4. Yikes

Rex, reasonably cheerful compared to Nia, who looks like she’s ready to commit murder if it means she gets coffee in the mornings, exits his apartment. He doesn’t bother locking the door seeing as Nia will be going out in about five minutes, but halfway down the stairs he’s almost changed his mind. He glances suspiciously up at the stairs, gaze cutting to the window. He feels…

Hmm. Paranoid.

He gets his phone out and sends a quick text to Nia: _heading to class._  

_Think some1s maybe following me?_

_Nvm_

He walks down the rest of the stairs gingerly, pausing for a minute before stepping outside. Though there’s no one there. Why would there be? He’s just… feeling watched for some inexplicable reason. Well, he’s got a test today, so that’s stressful yeah – _and_ he made a complete fool of himself last night. Yikes. His face feels warm just thinking about it. (and it’s _not_ because he’s thinking about Pyra. Architect, he’s such a clumsy dumb fool sometimes…)

 

* * *

 

Rex doesn’t spot her. Small mercies, Pyra supposes. The Aegis follows him discreetly to the campus, using corners and bushes to keep out of sight. Not that it’d be a big deal if he spotted her, right, because he doesn’t know that Pyra is the Aegis and he never will. And the Aegis can absolutely track people to make sure Logos or Crystal doesn’t surprise attack them or something like that – it’s all very noble and restrained, yes.

-until Pyra remembers that she _also_ has school today.

She hasn’t slept any, and she doesn’t have her bag either, and she’s wearing the Aegis outfit too boot and really- but _really_ , she can’t skip school again, what is she thinking? Chin up, coffee, normal clothes – it’s fixable, she’ll be late of course, but she just has to stop by home and then she’s good to go! In theory. Fuck practice, she’s gonna do this. Get her mind back on track: homework, cooking, school.

 

* * *

 

The second time Rex meets the Aegis begins with the fact that he’s at Argentum Mall, shopping for clothes. Or more precisely: he’s done with the clothes shopping since pretty much all he got was socks and underwear (without any patterns; he’ll never let Nia buy him _anything_ ever again) and he’s walking towards the exit just going along with the stream of people, but the crowd just thickens and thickens, people slowing until they’re not even moving anymore. Which, annoying.

-and then he catches a glimpse of what has everyone so enraptured, and it’s – _the Aegis_. The Aegis talking to two security guards, and there’s something there which is letting out long wispy plumes of smoke, hidden somewhere behind the camera flashes and the curious shoppers, but _the Aegis_. She’s never usually spotted in any crowded places, other than the underground or the square by Senate Hall, so this?

Did Logos attack the Argentum Mall?

It’s gotta be covered in the news, right? Or maybe he’d find a video of what happened on the internet…

Finally the crowd starts to move again, slowly, pushing towards the doors. The Aegis appears to have slipped off to somewhere, so now what’s left is just two regular ol’ security guys who probably aren’t paid enough for this, and nobody ever finds normal people interesting. Life goes on. It always does – it’s kind of comforting. Life in Alba Cavanich wasn’t so different from living in Fonsett after all; people were people and he’d always have homework, no matter where-

“Hello,” says a very, very sudden voice, and Rex spins around so fast he almost topples down the stairs to the underground-

“Aegis,” Rex gasps. _Architect_. He clearly can’t be trusted to meet or talk to a human being not in post-mortem ever again; first Pyra, now _this_?

“Rex,” says the Aegis, and tugs him along so that they’re climbing down the stairs together. You know, because apparently that’s what being a vigilante is all about nowadays: striking up conversation with hapless university students. _Get a grip Rex._ “You’ve been shopping?”

“Uh, yeah. I saw you at the mall.” So did about a million other people too. “Was it Torna?”

“It was Crystal,” says the Aegis, and then she pauses for just a moment. “He’s with Torna, so yes... It was Torna.”

“I see.”

They climb down the stairs. People turn to stare at them as soon as they’re down in the underground, and it’s still five minutes until the train will arrive. Well. _Enjoy the spotlight, Rex!_

The Aegis doesn’t seem to notice. Heck, she’s probably immune to staring at this point. Rex slumps, trying to look even more inconspicuous in his big blue hoodie, tightly clutching his shopping bag, while the Aegis stands tall next to him (taller _than_ him), chin up, regal and ethereal in all white. Somehow the bright gold and green details in her armour (clothing? Kevlar?) seem to shine beneath the shitty underground lighting and _sheesh_ , this isn’t even fair, how does she look this majestic? Rex would gladly let her step on him.

The train hisses to a stop, and the doors open.

Rex glances at the Aegis one last time, and then she says, asks, “Can I escort you home?”

“I- no? I mean – but _why_? I’m not in any danger, aren’t you- isn’t-“ The Aegis holds up her hands in a placating gesture and starts backing away, so, well, what’s he supposed to- “ _Yeah_.” Rex can taste the sweet tang of _blinding stupidity_ on his tongue. “I mean. You’re the Aegis. So I mean…”

“We better get on the train.”

Oh, normal sentence. “Yeah, we’d better…”

 

* * *

 

The third time happens because the Aegis saves him from a chunk of falling debris, and Rex was sort of hoping he’d be seeing her again but _wow was that never gonna happen_ , so a week of nothing passed and Rex did homework and went grocery shopping and watched too many videos of the Aegis, and then this shit with Logos and buildings under construction happens and-

-she leaps in and pushes him out of the way, and _Architect_ , Rex’s hands are shaking and it feels like his breath is too, rattling in his chest like a terrified bird, but the Aegis calls his name and doesn’t leave. “Rex, it’s okay, hey,” says _the Aegis_ , and he breathes back that he’s fine, _really_ , and the Aegis springs back up to lunge for Logos, who’s – who might be looking at Rex.

Who might be looking at Rex, and this is the deep end, already, because the Aegis is interested in Rex for some inexplicable reason and now Logos might _know_. This is why he should’ve said no at the underground, shouldn’t have given out his fucking address.

But he did _. So here we are._


	5. The fragile balance of the universe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marshmallows are eaten. Rex has an Encounter (tm)

“You’ve been acting strange.” Mythra eyes her across the table, not actually pointing at Pyra with her chopsticks but it felt like she should be doing it. _I’m watching you._

“Really?”

“Mm. You’re disturbingly cheerful.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? …Why are you even asking anyway?”

“Just thought there ought to be a reason why you’re so cheery at the prospect of patrolling.”

Pyra shrugs, and very deliberately takes a bite of her food. Fish. Yummy. Never had she had a dish this fascinating before, it absolutely devoured all of her focus and attention, yes.

“So. That boy the Aegis has been spotted with twice now, it’s kind of suspicious, isn’t it?” -Oh, Mythra, that manipulative matchmaking _bastard_.

“I wouldn’t know,” Pyra chirps, trying to lower the temperature of her face by force of will alone. “It’s weird how your girlfriend’s roommate looks so similar to him, isn’t it? Such a shame I’ll never be able to talk to him…”

“You could.” Mythra looks at her with a way too serious gaze. “Our place. Movie night. I’d get Nia to bring him with her. It’d-“

“No.” Pyra’s stomach roils at the thought, all that yummy fish she has consumed suddenly flopping over. “Nevermind. Don’t do it.” _Please don’t do it._

“I’m serious.”

“So am I. Don’t.”

(and maybe she should’ve agreed, maybe she was just being a coward. Maybe she was just creating problems for the future. But things were going well as they were, and Pyra felt loath to try and change anything and upset the careful balance of the universe)

 

* * *

 

On the nights that it’s Pyra’s turn to be the Aegis (which were most nights, and honestly they didn’t use to do this much patrolling before, so possibly, maybe, had Pyra pushed it a bit) Pyra had started to hang out closer to campus. She knew she shouldn’t, alright, she was _aware_. The Aegis was a bit of a danger magnet, and she was technically infringing on _Lady’s_ territory, and she shouldn’t be throwing all her socialising effort in with the Aegis-

-but Rex had told her she could come and visit, after that second meeting in the subway, when they had both been standing in his kitchen and he’d awkwardly offered to make coffee. That was kind of sweet, wasn’t it? His earnest interest in archaeology was cute to watch, too, and-

-and Pyra was just lucky that Nia hadn’t been home that night.

She had a standing invitation. Seeing Rex was a thing that was on the table, it was available and an oh-so-shiny offer, and it wasn’t what the Aegis should be doing with her time, but who was going to stop her? So she used her invitation. Several times, but mostly on Mondays. She debated a bit of homework questions with Rex, played cards with him, cuddled his cat, criticized his taste in TV-shows, and the one Monday night that Nia actually _was_ at home Pyra just sat and clung to the windowsill, sharing a bag of marshmallows with Rex through the open window.

“The light,” Rex asks suddenly. “That thing you do, with the light – how _do_ you do it? Is it some kind of equipment you use or um, is it-“

Pyra has never told anyone, because Mythra had been born with it too.

Flamebringer haven’t asked.

-So, the obvious answer is to not answer at all. If you’re a superhero then you have superpowers, and if you don’t then you have cash. Pyra’s bank account is currently crying into its hands, so no. She’s already decided anyway – Pyra can almost hear Mythra’s voice inside her head going: _don’t do it hoe, don’t say it_ , but… (and it’s not that _she_ doesn’t trust Rex, it’s that once she’s begun telling him personal stuff then where will it end?)

Her voice of reason sounds more and more like Mythra nowadays.

“No gadgets. It’s natural.” Pyra says, and that’s not very deep yet so _it’s fine_. “Actually,” she says and smiles, “I could show you?”

Rex opens his mouth but then closes it again without saying anything. Pyra holds up one gloved hand between them. A drop of gold glimmers in her palm, slowly blooming into a gentle glow. Something shapeless but bright, so bright Rex has to squint at it.

“…That’s pretty neat.”

“Not especi- don’t touch it! It’s hot-“

“Sorry!”

 

* * *

 

Maybe he actually had gotten more confident after meeting the Aegis, some of her recklessness infecting him. Not that shopping late was actually dangerous, normally, but it was dark as night already thanks to the clouds, and cold rain was drizzling down in a wet miserable haze. Just enough water to irritate everyone, but not enough to form puddles. Everything just looked grey and all the noises were muted so that you wouldn’t really hear if anyone was sneaking up on you…

Rex was trekking from the underground back to his apartment, shopping bag in each hand. Then suddenly he realised how dark it was. And how short and unsuspecting he looked like, with his bags and no umbrella and definitely no company.

-well. What could he do, really? Besides, it was just a bad feeling – they come and go.

Oh yikes.

He almost feels relieved when someone suddenly blocks his path – because hey, apparently his gut feeling works! Anyway, common sense kicks in the literal second after and he nearly drops his groceries because holy shit _, holy shit_ , that guy has a sword; he’s really tall and masked and he’s got a sword (please be a cosplayer _please_ be a cosplayer please don’t be with Torna-)

“You know the Aegis,” he states, his voice soft and almost conversational, nevermind the goddamn _sword_ , or how he just slipped out of that crack between two buildings like he’d been waiting to ambush someone.

“Uhh,” Rex stammers. “Maybe? Wha-“ _AAAAAA._

Tall-Creepy-And-Dressed-In-White is turning out to be scarily fast, and Rex finds himself pressed to a wall with that sword at his throat in the time it’d take him to blink, groceries scattered all over the pavement. Dear Architect. He can feel the cold blade against his skin when he swallows nervously and he’s going to start panicking, he knows it, gods he _cannot_ start hyperventilating right now-

“How long?”

“Um – I – it’s-“ Steely blue eyes without any remorse or feeling stare into his soul and that’s, _that’s_ when Rex starts hoping he’ll at least die quickly. He croaks, “A month.”

His future murderer cocks his head and says, “Tell me your name.”

Like _fuck_ \- “Rex Padraig,” he blurts out.

“Rex,” says Murder-Guy, and then another voice abruptly yells,

“ _Crystal_!”

He calmly turns his head to look behind him, the blade pressed against Rex’s throat not even dropping slightly. Rex glances up too, prays to the Architect, and then his eyes land on another vigilante. She’s short, dressed in simple grey and red combat and training wear, and she’s wearing a kitsune mask which somehow makes the outfit actually fit together. She’s pointing a knife at them.

“Drop the kid, Crystal. And get off my campus.”

“Lady,” says Murder-Guy.

“Fuck off, icicle.” She’s now holding a second knife, and Rex is trying to take deep breaths and stay cool, but again, _sword at throat._ “Stop creeping in my territory.”

There’s a long moment.

And then, Murder-Guy lets go off him and steps back. “Very well,” he says, and turns around and walks away. Rex is too busy gasping for air and slumping on the ground to give even a single shit about where Murder-Guy is heading next, and _he’s alive_ , gods, he’s never going grocery shopping again- oh _Architect_ -

“Take deep breaths,” says a distant voice, right, that girl- “Count to three. Easy, okay, take a deep breath, now count to three- 1… 2… 3… let it out, yes, yeah, now take another…”

When Rex feels a little less like he’s about to fly to pieces, he immediately struggles back to his feet. The-Vigilante-Who-Saved-His-Life gives him a scrutinising look and says, “I can walk you home.”

“Not nece-“ Rex wipes a hand across his throat and _is this blood_ , it feels wet, and okay yeah- “No, wait: yes _please_.” She _just_ saved his life, how bad could it be? Besides, that sleeveless outfit makes it very clear exactly how shredded she is, which is way more than Rex – he wouldn’t even win a fight against a dedicated racoon, probably.

“Alright. Afraid your food’s ruined,” she says drily. “You might be able to salvage some yoghurt though.”

“Doesn’t matter. _Thank you_.” Rex turns to face her, trying to put the full weight of his relief into his voice when he says, “Thank you for saving my life.”

She shrugs. “Yeah, well.” Pause. “Anyway, I’m Lady. Don’t count on me being here next time.”

“Next time…?” Oh no. No no _no_.

Lady must’ve picked up on his horror-struck expression as she quickly says, “Don’t worry, Torna usually don’t stick their noses in around here. Crystal probably won’t bother you again. They’re mostly throwing a fit near Senate Hall or Hardhaigh Palace – terrorists, you know. They’re not really interested in fucking with random civilians.”

“What do they even _want_?”

“You know how Mor Ardain’s conquered a lot of places? The Torna Province is one of those places, and they got a real shitty deal when the Ardainians took over. Most of the Tornan people are poor as dirt, they didn’t use to get to vote, and there’s rumours about experimenting on— But anyway-“ Lady waves a gloved hand. “So most Tornans hate this, obviously, and some Tornans decide to, like, start a terrorist organisation about it. So what they want is, well, change.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh yeah so Rex's actual surname in this is Eden


	6. Letting people down is my thing baby

_(“You know how Mor Ardain’s conquered a lot of places? The Torna Province is one of those places, and they got a real shitty deal when the Ardainians took over. Most of the Tornan people are poor as dirt, they didn’t use to get to vote, and there’s rumours about experimenting on— But anyway-“ Lady waves a gloved hand. “So most Tornans hate this, obviously, and some Tornans decide to, like, start a terrorist organisation about it. So what they want is, well, change.”)_

Rex can’t resist asking more questions, because if he’s about to be killed by Torna he’d like to know why. Apart from ‘fraternizing with the enemy’ you know – or actually, simply knowing _why_ the Aegis and Logos hate each other so destructively and famously would be nice too. He tries to strike up conversation with Lady as they’re getting closer to home sweet apartment, throwing out a wayward sentence: “So Torna thinks the best way… to make things change, is to threaten senators?”

“Well I don’t know what _they’re_ thinking,” says Lady dismissively. “That’s all I know about. Maybe they secretly bribe senators too.”

Why wasn’t past-Rex who lived an innocent life in Fonsett more invested in Ardainian politics? It sure would’ve been handy now. “And the Aegis?”

“What about her?” -was Rex imagining it, or did Lady sound particularly snappy just then?

“Uh, just… why do the Aegis and Logos fight each other all the time?”

“Did you not hear a single word I just said? Logos is like the boss of Torna, and the Aegis is the guardian of this city. The bloody ‘shield of the people’. Of course they’d fight each other.”

“I see.” Rex contemplates this as they steadily approach his apartment building. He’s feeling a lot calmer now, even though he doesn’t have the groceries and will have to go and get them tomorrow instead _and_ risk another Shady Encounter, which is also what he _shouldn’t_ be thinking about right now because he would like to sleep tonight. He’s got tests. He’s got essays to write and books to read and homework and grocery shopping, he’s got no time for getting harassed by outlaws.

-They’re waiting outside his door, Lady hanging by the stairs and probably silently judging Rex as he tries to actually unlock it (sometimes the key just doesn’t work okay), when Rex finally has the courage or morbid curiosity enough to dumbly ask, “So why me? Why would Torna… target me?”

“Because you’re close to the Aegis, _duh_ ,” Lady says, and Rex just _knows_ she’s rolling her eyes beneath that mask. Architect, who does he remind her of? “I have absolutely no idea what she sees in you, but apparently there’s something. Too bad for you that you got caught in that video.”

Too bad, yeah.

Oh _Architect_ they better _not_ know where he lives…

“Do you think,” Rex asks, hand frozen on the lock, heart sinking in his chest. “That they know… where I live?”

“Possibly. Though if they _did_ , Crystal would probably have come here instead of cornering you on the street.”

Rex breathes out. This time when he tries, he gets the key twisted the right way and the door opens. “Thank you,” he says to Lady, who’s already beginning to walk down the stairs. “And wait! Last question-“ Lady stops. “-my roommate, Nia, do you think they’ll – that she’s in danger?”

Lady is silent for a moment and Rex is basically waiting for Lady to say that she found some dead Gormotti girl in a bush, that her? -Lady doesn’t say that. “She’s safe. Sweet that you worry, but just you worry about yourself for now, got it? Great.” Lady does a haphazard wave that Rex responds to even more clumsily. “See ya around. Gotta go.”

“Bye Lady! Thank you for saving me, and talking and all that…” Rex trails off, and turns back to his apartment. It’s dark inside so Nia can’t be home yet, so the first thing Rex does after locking the door is to switch on all the lights. Then he sits on the sofa. Then Gramps comes and begs for food so Rex has to go up and put some in the bowl instead of having the breakdown he was longingly considering.

 

* * *

 

Money is a bit of an issue, but at least it could be worse, as Pyra thinks every time she has to manage their finances. She doesn’t have a job. She should try to get one, try again, look harder, but there hasn’t been anything that has stuck. At least Mythra has a job! Pyra… the closest thing she has is _the Aegis_. Now if Alba Cavanich would actually pay her for that, that’d be something. Though then they would have to pay Flamebringer or Big Bang and Lady too or else they’d look bad – and then they’d make _Being A Vigilante_ seem like something profitable and they can’t have that…

Pyra almost feels like calling dad. They don’t just call each other unless there’s money problems but it’s not _that_ bad now, so she’s got no excuses.

Maybe not (and Mythra doesn’t like calling him anyway… not that she’s home right now)

Mythra is being the Aegis tonight and she told Pyra to _just get some sleep for fuck’s sake_ when she left, so here Pyra is. Sitting at the table and watching the dawn slowly paint the rooftops gold. Two of hours sleep in the evening, and since then she’s been finishing all the homework for this week and the next and now there’s nothing left to do. _Am I tired?_ She wonders _. Am I sad? Bored?_

The sky ripens into a warm rosy colour with streaks of cloud, and Pyra gets up and changes from her pyjamas into her usual knit sweater and jeans and starts making breakfast. Pancakes, as usual. Mythra doesn’t really appreciate fruits but Pyra chops some up for herself. Can’t let bananas go bad. She brews some tea (for herself, Mythra only likes the too sweet kinds), and when Mythra climbs in through the window Pyra has just finished with the dishes.

“It’s like six AM Pyra,” are her greeting words, “Why have you _already_ made breakfast?”

“You’re back late,” retorts Pyra. “Did something happen?”

“Traffic accident. Flamebringer says hi – also she wants to talk.”

“Great. I’ll go out tonight, then.” Pyra grabs her bag. “See you at school.”

 

* * *

 

The history teacher thought that doing a group project would be a fun way to broach their next topic, so now Rex is stuck doing a presentation on Judician society with two other losers. Adenine actually seemed to know a lot about Judicium, while Dagas only was interested in layout, colour choices, insulting Rex’s design choices and giving off narcissist vibes. All three of them are trying to make themselves the boss of this project, Rex mostly in to try and vote down Dagas. And also because they need some text in this thing, and Dagas keeps changing the font.

Then comes a knock on his window.

Rex smiles to his screen.

He shuts off his computer after sending a satisfying _gtg_ to his project-mates, standing up and unlocking the window swiftly. “Hi,” he says, as the Aegis climbs through said window.

“Hi,” replies the Aegis with a smile. “What’s up?”

“Group project. Though you’ve been busy.”

“Hmm?” She leans her sword (the Aegis’ _actual sword_ holy shit) against his bookcase and sits down on his bed. Gramps immediately claims her lap as his new bed.

“Do you ever sleep?” Rex asks it mostly as a joke. Mostly. “You helped out with that traffic accident at 3 AM, and then that afternoon robbery, and now you’re here…”

“Oh.” The Aegis looks down so that he can’t see her eyes, and Rex is again (for the 183th time) reminded vividly that he’s never seen her without that mask and veil. “I sleep. I’m not superhuman if that’s what you’re… Yeah.”

“I was just worried,” Rex says hurriedly. “I don’t want you to feel drained.”

“I see.” The Aegis says. And then she pets Gramps for a moment, and Rex just stands there and stares. He’s got enough self-awareness to admit that he’s not even summoning up any Great Conversational Starters or Thoughtful Observations: he’s just looking at her. Until she looks up and he’s again (for the 194th time) startled by how red her eyes are. “What about you, Rex? How are you feeling?”

“I’m good!” Which is the answer Rex would say with a smile and a nod even if you had just pulled him bleeding out of the Cloud Sea. “Everything’s going as usual, pretty much… or no.” He takes a deep breath. See, he really ought to tell her even though he doesn’t want to be a bother but on the other hand… “I ran into some guy called Crystal a few days ago-“

“Crystal?” The Aegis snaps to attention. “What did he do to-“

“Just some threats! Um. So you know him?”

“Yes. He’s a leader of Torna and _very_ dangerous.” The Aegis stares into his soul. “Rex, could you tell me what happened?”

“Uh, just – I was walking home and he just ambushed me. Said some things.” Rex swallows at the phantom touch of a blade, rubs his neck self-consciously. “I got saved by this vigilante – Lady. Do you know her too?”

“Yeah. There’s a few of us running around the city… Lady though. I guess we’re allies?”

“Allies?” Rex says with amusement. “Got any rivals too?”

“Haha. And no. Only arch-enemies.” The Aegis sighs. “Only Torna. If we knew who they were…”

“…but nobody wants to have a public ‘secret identity’,” Rex finishes her sentence. The Aegis nods, and Rex takes a leap of faith and asks, “Would you ever tell anyone?”

“I’ve already told – oh nevermind.” The Aegis quickly gets up from his bed, Gramps meowing at the lack of warmth. ‘ _I’ve already told…’_ Rex literally stares this time, as the Aegis proceeds to climb right back out through his window, still reeling from the surprise-

“Hey wait-“ Rex rushes to the window, but the Aegis only waves as she drops outside.

 

* * *

 

There’s something so calming about sitting on a roof in the dead of night. Flamebringer gives off a faint blue glow from where she sits cross-legged, and the Aegis lets her legs dangle down off the edge of the roof, looking downward. The streets look so thin from up here, the cars so fragile. Flamebringer could be looking at the sky or at her, but Pyra doesn’t know – Flamebringer wears a blindfold as a mask, and a cloak to top it off.

The Aegis asks into the night: “Do you think I should tell Rex?”

“If you want him to know. If you trust him.”

“I don’t know. I just feel so guilty that I haven’t told him… I told _you_. After only a month of knowing you.”

“I saved you thrice in that month,” reminds Flamebringer with an amused curl of her mouth.

“I was just _starting_ back then Flame, give me some slack.” Pyra’s cheer dissipates as fast as it came. “If he was a one of us too-“

“You don’t want that.” Flamebringer always sounds so sure and steadfast. Honestly, Pyra doesn’t get why Mythra doesn’t like her – Flamebringer would be a great big sis. And Flamebringer is right. She says, “I’d never want my fiancée to do this. It’s reckless, it’s foolish, it’s hard and tiring-“

“-it’s a last resort, it’s addictive, it’s thankless.”

Flamebringer says, “If Mòrag herself wished to do this then I’d support her of course. But I hope she never will.”

Pyra doesn’t want Rex to put himself in danger like this, she’d never want that. And he’s so fragile! He’s short and naïve and a too big heart stupid boy, and he’s got no powers, not like the Aegis and Flamebringer have. No divine light, no flames to command, he’s not even been trained in any martial arts like Lady has, has he? He’s _already_ in danger! And it’s not as if this is the point anyway, it’s not because of this that Pyra has been pacing and thinking  and wondering and letting herself be consumed by guilt.

She’s not even lying to Rex, he _knew_ what he signed up for. Always masked vigilante.

“I really want to tell him.” _Do you really?_ “But he’s already met Pyra, and it was awful. It’d be so awkward…”

“Aegis,” Flamebringer says seriously. “You have _time_. You don’t have to decide tonight-“

“-I can’t just see him again feeling like this! Without any-“

“ _Pyra_. If he likes you as the Aegis then he will like you as Pyra, but this is a decision you can’t make just because it feels wrong to lie. This _lie_ protects your life, your family. You have to be sure beforehand, because this is one thing you can’t take back after you’ve said it.”

Great. Now she has gotten ‘The Talk’, superhero edition. For one absurd moment she wonders whether Torna has ever faced this dilemma.

“Then…” Pyra breathes out. “I won’t tell him.”


	7. Candles in the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She’s decided. She won’t tell him, because she will never see him again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> modern au headcanon time: pyra's hair is dyed red.

She’s not going to tell him.

It’s what Mythra would want right (probably), it’s definitely what _Pyra_ wants (whenever she isn’t gazing into Rex’s eyes…), it’s a very simple and smart choice. Yet still…

-The thing is, Rex should never have mattered. If he hadn’t been Nia’s roommate, then maybe she would never have seen him again and that would have been it. But Nia and Mythra managed being in a relationship on top of everything else, so… And it isn’t even about that! Rex isn’t… Rex is a breath of fresh air, that’s all, Leftherian fishing town boy in Alba Cavanich. Pyra had absolutely not thought about being in a romantic relationship with him, never! (…or at least not _that_ much, Mythra can stop being so smug already!)

Rex isn’t the city’s most interesting person, or the smartest, or funniest or – or anything (is that not the _point_?). He’s honest. He’s studying archaeology because of his love of mythology and ancient cultures and a genuine interest in the craft, and a childhood of searching for exciting things that had been washed ashore on Fonsett.

And he didn’t care that she was the Aegis! He never made a big deal about it after those first three times, and even if he did mind – he’s never said anything, only welcomed her into his home with a smile and a ‘ _what’s up?_ ’ …and that’s just it, isn’t it? The Aegis coming in and messing up his life and Rex never said anything, just smiled in that cute way and talked to her, _worried_ about _her_ , the _Aegis_ , she who’s so much more dangerously powerful than he could ever be. She who’ll put him in so much more danger than he’ll ever deserve.

Crystal already found him once, and if Crystal knows then the rest of Torna won’t be far behind.

See! Pyra – no, The _Aegis_ – is far too dangerous to be friends with. She’s too close to him. But if she stops visiting him _now_ , then maybe, just maybe, it won’t be too late. Rex will be just a small mistake, a too friendly boy, not a sweet young student dead in a ditch because the Aegis couldn’t leave him alone. If she stops. If she never sees him again, the Torna would leave him alone. Right? Right.

(he can’t protect himself, he has no powers. He shouldn’t have to be afraid because of her)

(he’s the brightest thing in her life, but Pyra will make do with only candles for the rest of her life, anything as long as he doesn’t die like-)

She’s decided. She won’t tell him, because she will never see him again.

…Unfortunately Mythra was not privy to this fateful decision.

 

* * *

 

“What’s got you looking so down in the dumps?”

“It’s nothing,” Rex sighs dejectedly.

“If Rex-Rex need a break, Tora and friends will work on project in meantime!”

Rex looks down at his notes, on which he’s been doodling for some time now. The scribbles are dark and blotchy and confusing and Rex kind of starts feeling a tiny bit self-conscious by looking at them. Wow, is that a broken heart he’s been inking in so carefully?

“I’m just a bit stressed guys, okay?” Rex puts on a smile. “Kasandra, you said you’ll handle the early life part, right? Then I can take death and legacy…” He can’t let this group project go south all because he’s a little melancholy, right, so he makes an effort and soon everyone is staring at their own computer screens again, working diligently. Rex looks at his notes, his sad little drawing attempts, and wonders where he went wrong.

-Like, in life in general. He knows he’s no good at art.

He never should’ve asked her about her identity. It’s been three weeks now, (3! Weeks!) and Rex is beginning to doubt she’ll ever show up in his window again. Crazy talk, that he’s been getting so used to hanging out with the _Aegis_ that he now won’t believe that it’s over… Nah. No, nope, she’s probably just really busy – last he read the news (which is _right now_ ; he’s reading the news when he should be researching some old playwright) they said that there’s been a fire in the industrial district recently. Also that fight with Crystal and Crow, not to mention regular crimes…

It’s been so quiet.

Nia’s more out of the house than in, Gramps and Dromarch can’t talk, and Tora is always really sketchy about hanging out together. Honestly, he almost makes it sound like he’s secretly storing dead bodies in his basement or something… (he’s a bit weird but not _that_ weird right?)

-and the Aegis hasn’t talked to Rex in weeks. And no offense Tora, but Rex would rather talk to the Aegis.

But she doesn’t want to talk to him, so what’s he gonna do? What’s he able to do?

The only thing he’s got is faith.

 

 

* * *

 

**-Seventeen years ago-**

 

Beneath the beautiful desert night sky stood a lonely house of white stone, surrounded only by shrubs and a few short and pitiful trees. The night was crisp and silent, save for the birds and the insects who never knew when to shut up, and all the windows of the house were dark and empty. Until a light flickered on at the second floor – only to just as quickly die… And then switch on anew! And disappear again…

“Stop playing with the light switch,” whisper-hissed Pyra, who was trying to sleep. Dad had told them they shouldn’t mess around with machines just because they thought it was fun, because things could go wrong and they’d get hurt. If Myth _did_ get hurt _now,_ then they would have to go and wake dad up because it was night-time now, and then he’d be all disappointed and ‘you should be sleeping! Kids need to sleep! What were you two doing up?’

“I’m not!” Myth whispered back fervently, almost excitedly, always defending her honour. Then like only a whole three seconds _after_ that _,_ the light flickered on _again_.

“Myth!” the light switched off. Pyra rolled around in her bed so she could look crossly at Myth’s bed, and then she rubbed her eyes because the light made them feel itchy (like when the sand blows in your face). “Dummy, would you quit it?”

“It’s not the lamp!” Myth all at once sounded positively giddy. “Paya, it’s not the lamp, wait, wait-“

At the sound of Myth getting out of bed and sneaking across the room Pyra groaned out loud in frustration. “ _Myth_! It’s bed-time! Please stop playing with the-“

“Paya!” Myth interrupted her. (Was that baby name nicknaming _never_ going to stop??) She was sitting on the floor by Pyra’s bed and Pyra briefly felt tempted to whack her with a pillow. “Paya, Paya look at this-“ she held up her hands, palms up. Pyra let out a big heavy sigh like dad always did when he read the newspaper and looked at Myth’s hands. She wiggled her fingers and then they started to _glow_. Just like a lamp, but the light came from Myth’s hands, seeped out along her fingers, her fingertips glowing extra bright…

“Myth,” Pyra began, but then she went quiet ‘cause she had nothing to say.

“Paya,” Myth said, grinning in the glow of her own light. “C’mon, I’ll show you – give me your hand…” And so Pyra hesitantly let her sister manhandle her hands into whatever position she wanted them to be, and then Myth said: “Now imagine there’s a fire in your hands…”

Pyra thought about campfires, and about the one time dad had tried making barbeque, and about the fires on TV- she imagined she could have a candle in her hands… and then the flame was just _there_. Heat spread in her palms and the flame flared bright, bright white and red, and Myth sounded so happy when she said, “See! I taught you, now we both can do it!” Two small blond girls, giggling at this light, their new special thing.

(for them both, and only them. And never will they tell anyone…)

 

 

* * *

 

 

There’s no rain tonight. It’s been weeks and there’s no anybody out to ambush him, of course not, just the same old streets as always and when Rex gets home he’s thinking about homework, about that show he’s considering to watch, about how Corinne is doing, and reluctantly about the Aegis, is she out tonight? Shining in the dark, fighting Torna, leaping across the rooftops like a knight in a modern fairy-tale-

Is he making up stories? Is he being ‘too much of an optimist’? Does he need to feed Gramps?

_Yes._

He puts down Grocery Bag #1 to get his keys from his pocket, unlocking the door and seeing that the lights are on. So Nia’s home, then, which means that maybe he won’t actually need to feed Gramps. Rex locks the door again and puts the keys away and then he – then he’ll do homework, then he’ll google on why he’s so sad, so blue down in the dumps _miserable_ all because of-

He’ll put away the groceries.

Rex shrugs out of his jacket and hangs it up (they’ve got some weird colour _thing_ going on. All his stuff’s blue and all Nia’s are either grey or yellow). Rex takes the grocery bags and goes through the living room to the kitchen, except he doesn’t get that far, because he sees Nia crouching by the sofa and says as a greeting, “Hey Nia.”

-Nia reacts kinda like he’s just dropped down from the ceiling while waving a sword. She shoots to her feet and stumbles backwards, fixing him with an intense look and exclaiming, “Rex! What the bloody ‘ell are you doing here?”

“I’m – I’ve been shopping?” Rex takes a hesitant step backwards. “Um, groceries?”

“Great!” Nia says far too loudly. She’s still staring and Rex is still staring, and then he _has_ to look down because the tension is rising to dangerous levels- and then he sees that there’s someone lying on the sofa. So Nia’s flustered and there’s someone lying on the sofa, and Nia clearly wasn’t expecting Rex to get home this fast, and Rex is _desperate_ to stop this train of thought before it gets _any_ further-

Rex looks around the room for literally _anything_ else to focus on, and then he spots the sword.

The Aegis sword, dumped on the coffee table like it’s a theatre prop, but Rex knows that glow, that’s the real deal. So unless Nia has actually robbed the Aegis then-

“ _Aegis_?” Rex says in a voice like a squeak. _Four weeks and two days_ , shouts his inner countdown helpfully. Rex is suddenly painfully aware of the fact that he’s _still_ standing there looking like a loon with the grocery bags held like he’s trying to shield himself from Nia. He drops them rather unceremoniously and steps closer.

“…Rex?” the voice sounds rougher than he remembers, hesitant like it’s not sure of his name. Ow. “This is a bit of a bad time.”

“What do you… mean…” Rex trails off into stunned silence as soon as he’s standing so that he can actually _see_ her over the back of the sofa. Her veil’s still on but she’s holding a pillow in front of her face, and then Rex spots her mask on the floor but at this point he _doesn’t care_ , his stomach is doing nauseating flips while sinking through the floor as he just stares. The Aegis’s stomach is bare, the cloth looking like it’s been torn clean off, and there’s-

-a whole lot of blood.

“Oh,” Rex whispers.

“Okay, okay,” Nia hisses, “Now move, some of us are trying to stitch here-“

Rex scurries out of the way, feeling like a shitty background character in his own story. Useless. He doesn’t look back as he quickly takes the groceries, starts – starts pretending he’s helping by putting away the yoghurt and cheese and milk. Right now, that’s… all he can do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	8. It's crab sticks or nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex bothers Nia. Mythra bothers Pyra.

That image, of the Aegis and her bloody wound, haunted him for the rest of the night and for all of next day until Rex decided that _okay_ , he’ll ask Nia whether the Aegis is doing alright or… not. Since neither any blogs nor news sites had seen the Aegis since last night, and Rex couldn’t just carry on with his business like nothing had happened. She may have cut ties with him (and doesn’t that hurt… but okay, fair) but he can’t just delete his concern now, it’s too late, he’s been caring for a while already. And Rex had known that the Aegis often got into dangerous situations, but actually seeing her lying hurt on his and Nia’s sofa made it so much worse.

And what could he do? What can he possibly do to help her?

…He didn’t even know whether Nia would know anything about the Aegis’ health or not. Sometimes asking really is the best way to get answers.

-Rex therefore corners Nia in the kitchen that afternoon, as she’s preparing cereal for dinner.

“So Nia,” he begins innocuously. “You’re friends with the Aegis?”

She gives him a long jaded look. “Where are you going with this?”

“Why was she here yesterday?” Mostly _here_ , specifically. “Do you like, patch up heroes in your free time-“

“No!” Nia scowled. “I usually don’t! And when I do it’s mostly her, okay, I owe her one, I’m studying to be a healer, it’s good practice – and _none of your business_.”

Rex asks just a bit desperately, “Do you know whether she’s alright?”

“After that huge gash in her stomach?” Nia sighs. “She heals up pretty fast.”

“So do you think-“

“She’ll be okay.” Nia gives him a _look_. “Why are you so bloody worried, anyway?”

“Because she was bleeding all over our sofa?”

“-And you’re a good person, right.” Nia gives him a sullen look. “So did ya come here to grab something, or was it just to pester me?”

Rex takes a yoghurt he really wasn’t planning on eating and escapes.

 

* * *

 

**-Six years ago-**

“Not bad!” Addam, their self-defence instructor and occasional fencing instructor when he wasn’t being _practical_ and _boring_ , grinned from where he lay knocked down on the floor, face flushed. “Not bad,” he said approvingly, only to then immediately reprimand, “Still, you could use a little work on your skill…”

“Pssh! You’re just whining ‘cause you _lost_.”

“Nuh-uh. I was just-“ he clambered to his feet. “-down for a bit. And as I was saying: you and your sister could really learn a thing or two from each other.”

“Like what?” Dared bold sixteen-year-old Mythra. Her sister, Pyra, with her short hair the colour of wheat and her small lithe form nearly swallowed by a sweater, watched curiously from a bench.

“Mythra, your problem is a lack of control, of… finesse.” Addam turned to face Pyra on her bench. “And you, Pyra, you don’t have to hold back as much as you do. I’m not made of glass – see, Mythra haven’t even dented me yet! Even though she’s tried her hardest… And besides, if you _do_ get in any real trouble then you _want_ it to hurt. Just give me your worst next time!”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am! Actually, would you mind getting up here and trying some moves?”

“ _Now_?” Pyra anxiously looked down at herself and Mythra rolled her eyes. _Honestly._

“Just take off that sweater and get your ass over here.”

Pyra squeaked something which might have been an ‘okay’ and pulled off her sweater. She laid it carefully back on the bench and Mythra rolled her eyes heavenward once more. Pyra jogged up to them and Mythra backed off, watching Pyra and Addam (and can you believe Pyra still called him ‘Mr. Origo’?) get into position. She started counting down in her head, watching as Pyra’s face hardened uncharacteristically into lines of determination, something seeming to almost… light up in her eyes.

Pfft.

-then Pyra _moved_ and blinding light exploded from where she and Addam collided.

Mythra instinctively shut her eyes, a painful white seared onto her retinas nevertheless, and she heard a loud crackling, hissing sound. Another sound, hit, like someone falling over, and Mythra quickly peeled her eyes open again. She had to squint at the gymnasium, for the room was all of a sudden nearly dark. All the lamps had blown or whatever-the-fuck had happened, in any case it was pitch-black apart from Pyra, who was kneeling with her hands alight.

That flickering flame, which slowly turned from shining white to a normal red-orange-blue, made Pyra’s expression of shock stand out like a beacon in the dark…

“Holy shit,” said a surprise male voice, and Mythra remembered with a stab of cold that Addam was _still here_ , and he must’ve seen it all, of course he had. “What – what in Alrest…”

-They never exactly told him. They didn’t talk about it.  They didn’t mention it, like that would make them forget his expression that day (Mythra swore he looked awed, Pyra insisted he looked sad, but both agreed that he looked afraid). Addam treated Pyra a little more warily, but he kept smiling at them, and joking, and generally being _Addam_. He never asked. They never said anything. A month or so later Mythra made dad stop paying Addam to give them lessons – and Pyra’s birthday card to him, sent by mail, was the last sort of communication between the three of them.

 

 

* * *

 

Pyra loves her sister dearly. This combination she’s got of _really_ hating to lay injured in bed, and _really_ loving to practically be spoon-fed chicken soup – not so much. Mythra hates to be coddled but loves that she doesn’t have to do anything, even though she’s missing several days of school thanks to her ‘influenza’ and also several days at work, and Pyra _really_ needs to get a job; it feels like their money is disappearing into thin air and they still need to eat.

She looks frantically for employment, checks in on Mythra, does homework, and checks in on Mythra.

“Fuck that Logos guy,” Mythra grumbles the third time that Pyra shows up in her doorway. “I swear he hits harder when it’s me in the mask. What the hell.”

“He can’t possibly know,” Pyra stresses, and ignores the fact that their eyes are very obviously different colours. It’s not like Logos should be able to see anything through that bucket anyway. Pyra adds absently, “And don’t cuss, Mythra.”

After then leaving to make some dinner, Pyra shows up again with two plates of risotto. Mythra gives her a look. “Why couldn’t it have been crab sticks?”

“You should try eating a vegetable,” advises Pyra. “They’re good for you.”

“And?”

“They come in different flavours.” Pyra sighs. “And I _know_ you don’t have anything against risotto.”

“Crab sticks are better.”

Pyra changes the topic, because like Mythra said earlier, Pyra usually doesn’t get this badly injured. Therefore, she’s worried, and mostly she doesn’t want to argue foodstuffs with Mythra again. You just can’t win in any meaningful way in arguments like that. “How are you feeling? Do you want more painkillers?”

“I want crab sticks.” Mythra huffs.

“ _Mythra_.”

“And sheesh, I’m fine, it’s just a scratch-“

Pyra looks at Mythra with a sad expression to match her worries, and Mythra actually looks away. She grudgingly says, “Nia said I’m gonna be fine. She’s good at this kinda thing.”

 _Really?_ Pyra doesn’t say it out loud, because Mythra obviously trusts Nia a whole lot. Maybe Pyra should try and go see Nia next time she falls down a staircase…

“Well, anyway. I’ll stay home for a week.” Pyra already doesn’t like her own decision but they obviously have to follow it anyway. “The Aegis got injured. She can’t be up and about in just a couple of hours, so I guess… I’ll have to take the next few evenings off.”

Mythra gives her a look. “What about that guy you’re always sneaking off to see?”

Pyra blurts out a, “ _What_?”

“Don’t look at me like that! You’re way too fucking cheerful about playing the Aegis nowadays, and taking far too many patrols. And then, like a month ago…” Mythra trails off. “Actually, you’ve been pretty distant lately…” Mythra stares at her in this thoughtful way that Pyra really doesn’t like, still blushing but now hoping to maybe, _somehow_ salvage this discussion. Mythra’s next look unfortunately makes Pyra doubt her resolve, as she says slowly, “It _is_ a _boy_ , right?”

 _How have you even noticed anything?!_ Is what one of Pyra’s squeaky inner voices angrily proclaims, while Pyra painstakingly says out loud, “Yes…”

“Yeah, great for you. Won’t he be so very sad if you don’t come and see him every other night?”

Mythra is both being freakishly observant, and really oblivious.

Pyra contemplates miserably about what she’s going to say. She picks the truth: “He’s… it’s Rex. That guy, it’s Rex, and he doesn’t know my real identity,” Mythra would’ve thrown a fit if Pyra _had_ told him, probably, “and he’s just a civilian, but he’s really sweet and smart, and…” (Pyra wonders for a moment, if maybe she should be telling a friend about this instead of dumping it all on a bedridden Mythra. (then she realises, she pretty much already did, and that friend was Flamebringer, who’s actually got her life together and is happily going to marry a rich lawyer lady in spring or something like that) “…and I can’t get Rex into danger,” finishes Pyra sadly.

Mythra cocks her head. “Wait. Are you telling me you were _actually_ seeing some boy, but now you’ve stopped because…”

“Yes! It’s Rex, you know exactly who I’m talking about, don’t you? ...And maybe I’ve been seeing him.” Pyra fights not to blush. Dear Architect, they haven’t ever even done _anything_! “And – and I can’t anymore, because Crystal already threatened him once. I _can’t_ get Rex into more danger just because _he knows me_.”

What if Logos or Crystal had followed her when she went to Rex’s apartment? What if they had found out where he lived? What then?

Her decision has been haunting her every single day of this month, but rather _this_ than Rex getting hurt. Torna have killed before and they could do that again.

(and ignoring people until they happily forget you has worked well enough in the past…

…And Pyra has always been so good at disappointing.)

-Mythra seems to turn Pyra’s little speech over in her head. Then she says, “That’s… pretty shit. How did Rex even react to this?”

“I don’t know.” Pyra slumps. “I haven’t told him anything, but I’m-“

“Hold on, are you saying you just up and disappeared on him? Without even saying _why_?” Mythra is starting to look almost mad.

“Well what should I have told him?” Pyra asks in despair.

“That you’re dumping him, I don’t know! Your approach is just rude!”

“I _haven’t even been dating him_!”

“Wow, really?” Mythra stares at her. Pyra angrily stares back. “You just sound… well okay. Tell him you’ve found a new best friend, then? Or, you know, warn him about Torna?”

“I don’t want to scare him!”

“Better scared than dragged to a hospital!”

Pyra looks down at her hands. Mythra’s eyes burn into her, even when she’s not looking. “Pyra,” she says. “You need to talk to him. This Rex guy appears to be really important to you, and haven’t seen him for…”

“A month.”

“A _month_ ,” echoes Mythra. “How do you even- Okay. Alright, woman up and go talk to him. I’ll get Nia in on this if you don’t, see how you like that.”

_That’s not fair._

(and this is hurting Pyra too, not just Rex. She’s not doing any of this just ‘cause she can)

It’s almost funny that Torna is barely even up on her Top-Five-Problems list anymore. There’s Rex, there’s the money issue, there’s her crush issue, there’s school…

“Okay.” Pyra clears her throat. “I’ll explain this to him. But nothing more.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nia’s only thought at “You’re friends with the aegis?” was ‘friends yeah! absolutely! I’m dating her u absolute fool’


	9. Fight your own war

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pyra, the Aegis, finally goes to talk to Rex.  
> But then Torna strikes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for violence

She’s got to do this. She’s going to do this. She’s on her way, she really _is_ , it’s Monday night and she’s heading straight for Rex’s apartment, not at all praying that there will be a mugging on the way or a robbery or some other violence that she can dedicate massive amounts of time to stopping. It’s a quiet evening. Silent night. Not many people out and about in this part of town, just some people who seem to be blowing up bottles closer to campus, but that’s not the Aegis’s problem. Mythra won’t take that as an excuse. Pyra herself won’t stand for using _that_ as an _excuse_.

She needs to do this. Talk to Rex. That’s all. After that then… it can be over. She can tell him goodbye and then never see him again, she could make sure to avoid him for all eternity after this. She can do whatever she wants. Because Rex can’t contact the Aegis, Rex doesn’t know her real identity, and Pyra holds all the cards here.

And, maybe, she’s been cruel with them.

She didn’t mean to. Agonizing thought-

…but she could at least have said goodbye. Maybe Mythra was right.

That sudden stab of guilt is enough to blow all her reservations about this apology-plan right up, which is what finally gets Pyra to climb the building and knock on Rex’s window. When she looks inside through the window, however, there’s nobody in the room. The door’s ajar, however, like some sort of challenge or invitation. If you’re looking for hidden meanings underneath the thoughtless and mundane, that is.

She knocks again, but Rex doesn’t show.

The window is unlocked.

Pyra takes a moment to think, _sorry_ , and then she opens the window and crawls inside. Rex’s room is familiar enough, at least. There’s his books, worn but cared for, there’s his many school papers; there’s his backpack lying on the floor and spilling its guts over the carpet. There’s his bed and desk with stickers on it and the little cacti in a pot, and the trinkets from Leftheria. She contemplates raising her voice and calling for Rex, but if Nia is also home then that’ll… be not to so good.

Time to play burglar.

Sneaking around in Rex’s apartment is a good distraction though. She can’t panic about anything else if she’s too busy watching out for Nia. Though luckily she doesn’t seem to be home. And it’s not like it would matter even if Nia _was_ at home, seeing as Pyra just resolved to tell Rex anyway. Quick and painless. She hopes. Sure, it’ll be awful to never see ex again, but it’s for the best. She’s already decided! She’ll explain, which she’s on her way to doing now, she’ll be as gentle as she can, say goodbye, and then that’ll be the end of the Rex Chapter in her story.

She finds him in the living room. Pyra stops just before stepping out into the open, takes a deep breath. Adjusts her mask, which feels like a sudden and uncomfortable pressure against her nose. Judging by the sounds, Rex is watching TV and eating something chewy.

“Hi,” she says, and walks out to face the music.

(more like tip-toes out with her heart in her throat, but it’s not like anybody will know)

Rex drops something which clatters to the floor. His eyes are wide. His lap’s full of papers and other student things and he’s got a bag of those Narcipear sweets that get stuck in your teeth for hours open next to him. His hair sticks up like he’s been running his hands through it repeatedly and he’s got smudges underneath his (bright golden, like butter or sunshine) eyes, and he’s looking at her. It’s the worst thing ever how Pyra’s stomach flips itself over and she realises, that _thank the Architect_ she is ending this friendship tonight, because otherwise she’d be well and truly screwed.

“ _Aegis_!” Rex exclaims and practically leaps up from the sofa, more of his stuff dropping to the floor. “You’re alright, you…”

“Why wouldn’t I be-“ Pyra says, shocked out of common sense by Rex being so _worried_ , and _then_ she remembers how Mythra got hurt last week. Eh. Mythra is almost completely healed up anyway, this is _not_ a slip-up. “I mean. It’s sweet of you to be concerned but… I’m just fine!”

“Good,” Rex says firmly. Then he shifts awkwardly. The TV says something about the news coming soon, and Rex says all in a rush, “Um. I’m sorry. About your privacy. And-“

“It’s all good!” Pyra is quick to interrupt.

 _Of course_ Rex had been concerned, he’s sweet like that. He’s decent like that. He’s _apologizing_ , goodness.

Pyra blurts out, “Thank you for your concern! But – I just – I can’t meet with you anymore.” _Like ripping off a band-aid, right._ “It could be dangerous. For you to be seen with the Aegis. And you said Crystal already-“

“It wasn’t that big a deal-“ Rex tries-

“ _Yet_! It isn’t a big deal _yet_!” Pyra curls her hands into fists. She doesn’t know if it’s early regret, or anger or sadness, that’s trying to choke up her throat, but she bites it back and marches forward with her speech. “ _I_ don’t want to stop meeting you. You’re sweet. You’re so optimistic and you always cheer me up, but I’m the _Aegis_ ,” _I’m Pyra, the boring twin, the anxious worrier,_ “You’re so _good_. You have a good normal life, here. And I can’t put you into danger with – with my vigilante baggage, and coming to your _apartment_ and eating your snacks and being seen hanging around campus every Monday night-“

Strangely it’s easier, saying it in the mask. Or maybe it’s easier because now it hurts.

“Torna can’t be _that_ bad,” Rex begins, and then the news jingle sounds from the TV, loud and abrasive. Rex spins around in annoyance like he’s gonna turn it off or chuck the remote, but instead they both freeze, because obviously the evening can get worse that this, as the words _IONA MINOTH TAKEN HOSTAGE BY INFAMOUS ORGANISATION TORNA_ scroll across the screen.

A reporter says smoothly, “Our earlier news broadcast this evening was interrupted by what has now been identified as the terrorist organisation calling themselves ‘Torna’, cutting into the sending to make demands to Loyalist Senator Cole Minoth about-“

Pyra’s already turning to bolt as she throws out the words, “I have to go.”

 

* * *

 

The first thing she does is to sprint back to her own apartment, leaping across a bunch of rooftops and taking shortcuts, making it in record time. She needs information. She can ask Mythra, because doubtlessly Mythra has been looking into this because Pyra is already out in the mask. When Pyra drops in through the window Mythra does not disappoint: she tells Pyra where Iona Minoth, 12 years old, was taken, and that her bodyguard Mr Vandham was also taken, and that the internet is more useful than you’d think in finding useful information but is still ‘ _pretty shit when it counts, goddammit’._

They haven’t really needed it before.

Torna hasn’t ever really done this before.

Pyra doesn’t know what else to do than to grab her sword and her phone before getting right back out. She makes her way over to the cinema outside of which Iona was grabbed. They went out through a back exit or some other celebrity shit, to avoid the crowd, but whoever’s idea it was, it didn’t work. There’s not really any blood or obvious footprints around, but a bunch of chairs have been knocked over so. Pyra guesses there was some sorta struggle involved.

 _‘I guess there was some sorta struggle involved, hm hmm’_.

Sometimes Pyra really can’t stand herself.

And she doesn’t know what to do next. _Architect_. This is – talking to Rex was nothing compared to this.

Her phone vibrates against her hip. When Pyra gets it out all it is is a message from Mythra saying, _got lady on the case_.

Right. Pyra calls Flamebringer. They have a one-minute discussion which essentially boils down to, _oh shit fuck_ , and then Flamebringer gets too busy doing whatever it is she does to get around the city so she has to cut the call. She promises she’s keeping her ears and other senses open though, which makes Pyra feel a tiny bit better. Like she can still help, even if helping right now is just by calling in other people to help.

Pyra scrolls though her contacts list, but the only other ‘superhero’ who’s number she’s got is Big Bang. She’s elusive and almost never in the Aegis’s part of the city but. Pyra calls. Big Bang, blessings to her, picks up on only the third ring, saying, “What’s up, green-girl?”

“Iona Minoth-“ Pyra begins. Big Bang cuts her off.

“On it. There’s this gal, Poppi, and you won’t even _believe_ how amazing her contacts-“

“What?” Pyra can’t concentrate on some Poppi right now. She just can’t. At least she tries her best to sound more apologetic as she demands, “But do you know anything? Please?”

“They’re definitely in your area of the city.”

 

* * *

 

Alba Cavanich used to have a lot more factories back when steam-powered anything was still the hottest thing on the market. Along with the fire escape ladders, and the rails and rusting balconies wrapped along the mountainside, there’s also abandoned warehouses, some tunnels with more ancient railways, and odd structures like old containers and water towers and all kinds of old, bent metal dusted over with sand hanging around nearby. It all looks very striking if you look at it from the right angle at sunset, in the right weather.

Apparently it’s not only that Lindwurm group Flamebringer warned her about that likes to use these old buildings. There’s a _lot_ of buildings though. Most of them broken down, rusting to pieces along the mountain. Civilisation crawled up from valley, over the mountain, dragging all their garbage with them, and then they left it all out here when they gravitated down toward the new harbour and Hardhaigh Palace.

The Aegis is alone here, by virtue of her being the closest to the location and the others all busy giving her information.

She doesn’t need directions at this point (not that there’s any coming). She can see tracks. She can see light coming from a building up in front of her, the windows broken but the roof still intact.

Pyra takes a deep breath and then she _goes_ , focused. The Aegis plans to climb the building or find some other secret way in, survey the situation first. It’s highly unlikely that there’ll be anybody with a gun in there seeing as the gun laws in Mor Ardain are (thankfully) so tight that no one even bothers trying to get hold of a firearm. That’s always good, as she’s reminded every time she watches TV-shows from Uraya.

Focus, focus.

-When she’s close enough to the building to start climbing, however, she can also hear the sounds of struggle.

She doesn’t freeze, because now she’s the Aegis on a mission, and instead she quickly scales the building and clambers over to the closest broken skylight like a squirrel. She jumps in without a thought, barely registering how high the roof is above the floor, but there’s an indoors balcony which she hits instead of the floor. The second she straightens up again all eyes fix on her, and she takes in the room, analysing, ripping her sword off her back and getting into position-

There’s Iona, bound and gagged but unharmed and dumped in a corner, and Logos, always looking threatening in his armour, and – Vandham, that bulky bodyguard, held at scythe-point by Calamity, as usual in his blue armour. Calamity looks so utterly nonchalant and indifferent about the whole thing, lips nearly a smirk beneath his stupid domino mask, and it makes something in Pyra’s core burn and harden to steel.

“Let him go,” she demands coldly. Her fingers are wrapped so hard around the hilt of her sword that they almost hurt; she forces herself to loosen up. Better grip for fighting.

“Ah, Aegis!” Calamity smiles like she didn’t say anything. “How lovely of you to join us on the stage tonight!”

“Let them go.”

Logos barks a laugh.

“I don’t think I will.” Calamity leisurely presses the tip of his scythe closer to the throat of Vandham, who mostly looks pissed, but Pyra’s stomach drops a few notches and into ice water.

“It’s alright, kid,” Vandham manages to say, sounding almost fatherly. The tip of the scythe is close enough to draw blood and-

“I’ll fight you for them.” Pyra swallows. _Let this work._ “I’ll fight you and Logos. A duel. If I win… you let them go.”

Calamity cocks his head. Then the scythe drops until he’s holding it like a walking cane, and he says slowly, “A duel… what do you say, Logos? A fitting end to this act, is it not?”

Pyra feels something in her chest loosen.

“Then _fight_ ,” Logos snaps, and then he’s already swinging his sword and Pyra lunges forward to block, Calamity dancing out of the way. The Aegis pushes forward, parrying and blocking, using her superior speed and agility to her advantage just as she always does. When she’s fighting like this everything else melts away except her resolve, and now she’s got no problems swinging her sword one-handed just so she can set her other afire.

No self-consciousness. Just, _burn_.

But then Logos draws back and Calamity jumps in, and he’s _faster_. “Aegis,” he mocks. “Some _fire_? Is that all you can do?”

Just for that, she dives forward and lets light explode like an actual bomb in her hands, and at least that gets rid of Calamity, which just means Logos returns with vengeance. Pyra can’t keep watch on Iona and the bodyguard this way, she’s too focused, preoccupied, fighting two at once, but she hopes and prays that they’re both staying _out of the way_ where they belong.

-then Logos gets lucky and hits her arm with that black stuff that can eat through metal, and Pyra dashes backwards and throws up her hands to-

And then Calamity comes from behind, hooking his scythe around her throat instead.

She’s breathing hard and the blade stings of electricity against her skin, but at least her arm isn’t dissolving, she’s managing, one twist and she-

(Later, she’ll think she should’ve seen it coming, should’ve been faster. Better-

But right when it happens, she definitely isn’t)

As sudden and subtle as a car crash, Vandham throws himself into the fray with a battle cry, weaponed with only a fucking metal staff, and in response Logos _moves_. Calamity moves, Aegis moves, both leaping in different directions and Vandham charges forward but Logos just twists his sword to the side-

-and Vandham stumbles.

Logos strikes again, but then Pyra crashes into him, swords deafening as they slam into his armour-clad shoulder. Viciously Pyra rams an arm into him, metal buckling underneath her and her flames, but as she jabs at him with her sword to get him to _go down, stay down_ , and spins to look for Vandham it’s too much, too late, there’s too – blood.

“Iona,” Vandham chokes out.

Calamity’s emotionless voice: “A plot twist! How exciting.”

_Iona._

The Aegis rushes to Vandham’s side.

“You’re a good kid,” he mumbles, red blooming through his green jacket. Pyra can’t tell who’s meant to hear it. “Please – get Ion- Iona-“

Every beat of Pyra’s useless dumb heart screams out, he’s dying he’s dying he’s dying _he’sdying_.

“It’s alright.” She hears herself say.

Then she snarls and gets to her feet. “ _Logos_ -“

Iona.

The Aegis lunges for the girl instead. Iona is screaming or sobbing through her gag. The Aegis cuts her ropes in a sloppy stroke and pulls the girl up, up, up. Slings her up in a fireman’s carry, and Iona _clings_ to her and for a split-second, Pyra almost loses it. Then the Aegis pulls her sword again, and gets them right out of there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (so his alias is Calamity! shamelessly ripped right off from his Calamity Scythe, because all my other name options made him sound far too much like a Batman villain (I mean there probably is a Batman villain calling themselves Calamity, but my point still stands))  
> :)


	10. Hiraeth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rex and the Aegis talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i thought i was busy w/ school earlier! but _now_ we're having tests like every other day!! so yeah  
>  WARNING?: one funeral scene

 

The news don’t dwell on that bodyguard, Vandham, for very long. Instead they focus on Iona being escorted back to safety by the Aegis, and Senator Cole Minoth publicly thanking the Aegis for returning his beloved daughter to him, and him saying that she’s a real hero, while Rex watches it and- and he thinks about that bodyguard, dying in front of little Iona. And _Architect_ , the Aegis was probably right there too. She probably had to watch Vandham die.

-So, Rex had gone to sleep at about 3 AM (because he was _worrying_ , goddammit!), woke up three hours later, and immediately put on the news. That was the instant he knew that today would be an awful and irredeemable day, as the city had woken with a metaphorical _bang!_

And now, seeing as he’s already up, he might as well try cooking some proper breakfast for Nia – no reason she should have a bad day too (he’s totally not just trying to distract himself). So, those weird bread things she liked – what were those called again? – and cream oranges…

Recipe, right, right.

 

* * *

 

**-Nineteen years ago-**

Aunt Corry took his hand and told him, very softly almost like whispering, to put the flowers down. The flowers were white and red and yellow and they were heavy to hold but they smelt nice, so Rex tried to find a good place to put them. They couldn’t shave slid off the cas- the _casket_ , that’d have been very bad, so he tried to put them with some other flowers.

“Good,” Aunt Corry whisper-said, and she looked so sad. She had cried earlier and Rex had asked what was wrong and she had said that she was just sad, because they were never coming back. Then Rex had felt bad about asking, so he had said okay and gone outside to play with the neighbour kids.

“Mama won’t come back?” He looked up at Aunt Corry and waited.

“No. I’m sorry, Rex, I’m so sorry.” Aunt Corry sniffled and pulled him into a hug. Her hugs felt different from mama’s (mama always smelt like some sort of spice. And dad smelt like chopped wood. Corry smelt like the bread before it was bread) “I’m sorry,” Aunt Corry whispered again, and again, and kept hugging Rex. It was a bit too warm and weird.

She stroked his hair and Rex felt small and confused.

“Then where is mama?”

“She’s in Elysium,” Aunt Corry said, and then she was crying.

“Please don’t cry.” He was scared and he didn’t want Aunt Corry to cry ever again.

“I’m sorry.” She sniffled, but hugged him close. Warm and soft but _she wasn’t mama._

And mama wasn’t coming back.

 

* * *

 

 

She heaves herself in through the window, slumps to sit behind the sofa in the living room.

Mythra sits down in front of her and pulls the mask of her face.

“Pyra,” she says. One word. Soft and simple.

She leaves. Comes back and drapes something over Pyra.

It’s a blanket.

Her skin feels cold and she trembles, an earthquake trapped underneath her skin. Her fingers glow as she pushes her face into them, bowing her head, and she’s making noises, hitches in her breathing, gasping or sobbing.

The Aegis, the heroine of Alba Cavanich, the very picture of grace as she tries not to cry. Still in costume, curled up on the floor.

Mythra sits next to her, quiet, and Pyra whispers, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Mythra says immediately. “You did all you could, and you did it all alone. Whatever those Torna shitheads did _you are not_ to blame, it’s not your fault-“

“I-“ Pyra says, and then Mythra drives right over her sentence.

“Nope,” she says with aggressive cheerfulness. “You saved that kid tonight. You did amazing, and as your big sister I’m _so proud_ of you, do you get that?”

Pyra clears her throat. “We’re twins.”

Mythra stares her down with an almost scary intensity. Pyra concedes defeat and mumbles, “I know.”

“C’mere,” Mythra says, and Pyra shuffles up against her so Mythra can hug her. Pyra can almost feel her patheticness level ratcheting upwards but she feels too bad to really care. She’s probably gonna fail school too because all of the Aegis work she’s been doing, all this Aegis work that only led to that man’s death. Maybe Logos and Calamity would’ve let them go if- if Minoth paid a ransom or something, and then Pyra _ruined_ it-

“Shh,” Mythra hushes. “I can hear you thinking stupid shit. So quit it. You did good.”

Pyra doesn’t have it in her to argue. So she tries to think about something, anything else – and the first thing she thinks of is Rex…

 _“Torna can’t be that bad.”_ Well, if Rex had been trying to convince the Aegis that they’d never seriously hurt him – tonight had utterly obliterated that argument. And if anything happened to Rex… No, no, _no_. She feels sick at the thought. If you’ve got powers, then you feel like a murderer every time you can’t save someone. Because she’s supposed to be able to do it, _always_ , and now she _can’t_ think about Logos running his sword through Rex because she’s already shaking too much.

…Which is when exactly, that she remembers that they never finished their conversation.

“Mythra,” she says.

Mythra lets her go and looks at her.

“I…” Pyra clears her throat. “I still haven’t… I need to… _Rex_.” Just talk to him. Finish it. And then she won’t put on the costume for a week. She’s pretty sure that if she took it off _now_ then she wouldn’t be able to look at it again.

“Seriously?” Mythra grumbles. Then she sighs. “I’ll wait up for you.”

“Okay,” Pyra says in a small voice.

It feels kinda like she’s asking her mom for permission to sneak out at night.

Though she’s never had a mom, and never had that particular problem anyway. Pyra was a very polite little girl, and even if she hadn’t been Mythra would’ve made her look good in comparison.

Mythra gives Pyra the mask, and she slips it on, arranging the veil to hide her hair properly. And then she crawls back out the window again, and starts making her way towards campus…

 

* * *

 

The parathas look very sad.

Rex thinks he’s doing a bit better with the orange cream, at least. Nia is probably still asleep, so he’s got time.

He sways along to the music he put on in an effort to forget everything, taking a few dance steps over to the counter, and then he flinches backwards so hard he almost drops his bowl _because the Aegis is sneaking in again._

She stops in the corridor, just staring at him. She looks miserable, red eyes bloodshot. No sword with her. She’s got a bit of blood on her costume that Rex didn’t notice back on TV-

Architect, it’s really the _Aegis_ , really _here_. Rex feels dizzy with relief that she’s here, and that she’s in one piece.

“You – are you alright?” Rex practically throws his bowl back on the counter and rushes up to the Aegis. Nothing matters but the Aegis.

“Probably not,” she says, voice thin and tired. “And you should probably take your parathas out of the oven.”

Rex must be staring at her with a ‘what the fuck is an oven’ expression, because the Aegis just marches over to his oven, opens it, and shoves her hands in. She pulls back his tray of ugly parathas and says, “And parathas shouldn’t even be cooked in the oven to begin with.” She turns his oven off.

“Okay,” Rex says. “Um.”

The Aegis takes a deep breath-

Rex quickly says, “I saw what you did. On the news, I mean. It was incredible.”

“Um,” says the Aegis. Then she sighs, her whole form slumping. “And _now_ you see,” she says. “That Torna are _dangerous_. Getting in the crossfire between me and Logos- Rex, you _can’t_. I mean _, I can’t_. I can’t meet with you anymore, I’m sorry but it has to be this way, and-“

Rex isn’t stupid. He can see plainly how this has been building up, exactly what the Aegis is doing here, and he doesn’t want to hear it. This is the best goddamn part of his life, a little danger isn’t going to keep him away. And if what the Aegis said was true – _“I don’t want to stop meeting you. You’re sweet. You’re so optimistic and you always cheer me up”_ – then the Aegis might just need him, too. Which is the most ridiculous thing he’s considered in a long while, but…

But he can’t handle not knowing whether she’s alright or not.

Rex takes a deep breath, and then he squares his shoulders.

“-I guess this is goodbye, Rex…” the Aegis finishes, looking away like she can’t bear it.

“ _The_ _Salvager_ ,” Rex corrects her calmly. “That’s my superhero name.”

“What?” says the Aegis.

Rex stares her down, nonchalantly leaning back against the counter. “I’m going to be a superhero, too. So I guess we’ll see each other out in the field? Just one vigilante to another, you know?”

The Aegis stares openly at him, red eyes wide. Rex stares back resolutely.

“No,” Aegis then exclaims in horror. “No, Rex, you _can’t_. You mustn’t, you-“

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

“No, _please_.” She looks so horrified that Rex feels abruptly chilled. Begging, “Please, Rex, you can’t.”

“I will,” Rex promises, ignoring his clammy palms and creeping guilt at this charade he’s pulling, “Unless _!”_ He says quickly, “ _Unless_ you promise to come here and see me after bad fights. I want to know what’s happening out there.” _I need to know you’re safe, you have to be safe, just please fall for this so I can-_

“Of course,” the Aegis says at once. “I – I’ll do it, I’ll do it as long as you don’t become a vigilante. _Please_ Rex, you don’t have any abilities, please…”

“Yeah,” Rex agrees. “Yeah,” he says, voice going precariously frail like it’ll snap, and then he forces the words out, “And by the way, I _lied_. I’ve never even considered being a superhero, I just- you can’t just run off and never speak to me again like that’ll solve everything, you _can’t_. I’m sorry, but I can’t take it.”

 _Please_.

Aegis stares at him. Then she says, quietly, “Alright.”

They shake hands on it, like it’s some kind of oath. Rex hopes it is. Then the Aegis leaves, like always, and Rex goes back to unenthusiastically fighting the parathas until Nia wakes up.

-This can’t have ruined anything. Everything. It’s just a new beginning.

And they’ve got each other – so what if Rex will never get to know who she is under the mask, get to pull it off and kiss her? As long as he’ll know she’s safe – he can take it.

 

* * *

 

**-Two weeks later-**

 

The microwave won’t start. After checking that it’s still firmly plugged into a socket, Malos resigns himself to the fact that Mik has gotten his hands on it and now it won’t start for a week. Now what the hell is he supposed to do with yesterday’s leftover coffee?

He drinks his coffee cold and black.

Through the window he can gaze out across the rooftops of old Alba Cavanich, watch the sun rise by the harbour. Or he can turn a bit and look at Hardhaigh Palace, glowing red in the early sunlight, or he can look past the palace at the towering buildings and skyscrapers, the glass and steel monuments. The light glistening off of the spires of the Rhadamanthus Tower, right in the heart of the city. Every rich asshole and snobby celebrity and piece-of-shit senator in the city, all clustered right here. Malos included.

What a place.

He smooths out his frown into a neutral expression as Mikhail steps into the kitchen area, scowling and with hair standing on end. “Good morning,” Malos says cheerfully, to which Mikhail raises one finger.

“Mikhail,” chides Jin absently, walking in after Mik, looking significantly more awake than their son. Then he starts making breakfast, so Malos makes Jin’s tea, and Mikhail feeds the cat then steals the packet of poptarts and vanishes. Probably back to bed, who the fuck even knows what he does all night. Besides the ill-advised Torna business. Jin doesn’t really like that Mikhail’s officially joined Torna, and Malos likes it even less…

They sit down to eat, and Malos hands Jin his tea with a kiss to his cheek. Jin graciously accepts his tea, and says, “The Aegis was back last night.”

“I thought she broke her arm three days ago?” Malos scowls at his breakfast.

“She did,” Jin says, slowly.

There is not much else to say about it. The Aegis – an ever-present thorn in their side, so goddamn tenacious. You broke her leg and a few days later she was back and running through the city. The Aegis. The first and last to stand in their way, with her light, almost a strange mirror to Malos’s darkness. _Cursed boy_ , like stepfather used to spit at him.

“Nothing keeps her down,” Malos mutters. If the Aegis wasn’t always interfering then Torna could already be _done_ with their crusade. Perhaps Mikhail never would’ve had the opportunity to join. Perhaps, maybe, what if – _goddammit_.

Malos lets that go. They eat their breakfast and all is as peaceful as always, up until the point when Malos opens up the news app, scrolls leisurely down past the ‘superhero’-focused articles and sees article number five. “Goddammit,” he growls, and hands the phone to Jin, then watches his expression go blanker and blanker as he reads. ”I _hate_ this fucking country-“

They can’t just take away the rights of the Torna Province again, what the _hell_ is this debate even-

“Can you do something?” Jin’s calm grounds Malos.

“Maybe,” he grits out. “I’ll have to- I’m going to work.”

Jin just nods at him, and Malos goes to put on his coat.

What a place indeed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyway! rex and pyra will get some Peace And Happiness later on. but. it might take some chapters bc villains and such. moving on!
> 
> -so I’ve mentioned a superhero named Saika a few times, and basically I decided to change her name to Big Bang, which isn’t very relevant but still important (?) so yah that’s happened
> 
> two points to you in case you can guess who she is (:


	11. Don't see too many rivals now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Aegis starts a team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter has a tragic lack of rex, but to make up for that i introduce some new characters!

 

Nia likes to cite _spite_ as her main driving force.

The Echells had been one of the richer families in Torigoth, up until the point when there no longer was any family. Nia had grown up in an old family villa, learning politeness, learning to play piano, dance waltz, learning things her sickly little sister could also participate in without risking her health. And her little sister had loved playing princess, and Nia always wanted to play along, because Nia had loved her sister almost more than her sister had loved Nia. But love couldn’t beat a terminal illness, _no shit it couldn’t,_ and so Nia was an only child again at age thirteen.

At the funeral Nia almost started a brawl with two distant cousins, spat ‘ _You didn’t even know her fuck you’_ in the face of one of daddy’s posh stupid friends, and refused to cry where everybody could see. And then she went home and cried.

She decided: she would become a doctor. A nurse. A surgeon. She wasn’t entirely clear on which until she moved to Mor Ardain and got in at Ayvill to study to a _healer,_ which was a title that didn’t even exist in Gormott. At Ayvill Nia then met Mythra in the flesh, took up the vigilante mask for real – in the day, learning to sew wounds properly and diagnose illnesses. At night, standing guard over the campus and confronting assaulters, breaking noses and wrists and laws.

 _‘You gotta pick your battles_.’ Yeah, fuck that too, Nia can fucking _multitask_.

She doesn’t mind that there’s other people doing the same thing as her. The more ‘superheroes’ around, the safer the streets should be, right. Nia doesn’t work with anybody though – patching up the Aegis ( _any_ Aegis) doesn’t really count. She’s not up for teamwork.

Pyra wants that to change.

Some other brand-fresh vigilante, Big Bang, had originally pitched the idea to Flamebringer, who then told the Aegis, which then led to Pyra _really loving it_ and turning on her puppy-dog eyes to send Mythra out to bully Nia into it too. And Mythra apparently decided that the best time to ambush Nia with this, was when they lay comfortably buried on Nia’s bed, arms deep in snacks, with the last episode of that anime they watched ‘ironically’ just starting on her laptop.

“Why.” Nia says.

“It’d be faster to know everyone else’s business _before_ starting territory disputes. Also, back-up.” Mythra rolls her eyes. “Not like I need it.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I so fucking don’t. I’m powerful, I shoot blasts of light-“

“You’re an angry glowstick.”

“Hate you too, babe.” Mythra groans. “Give it a shot. When Pyra shows up to invite you to the club, try it. I’ll be there too, like half the time, there’s no way I can get out of it, since _we’re both the Aegis_.”

“Where would you even _meet_ ,” Nia grumbles, closing down the anime tab. She checks a weather app, then pulls up the news app.

“There’s hundreds of empty warehouses in this city, we’ll just pick one to squat in.”

“A team.” Nia looks at Mythra. “You want that? An actual _team_ of – _vigilantes_?”

Nia is suddenly hit with the vivid memory of a gang of boys that used to hang out next to the family villa in Gormott. They wore matching clothes, were always soaked in mud, and always tried to hit passer-bys with their football. They were known as ‘The Team’, and instilled much fear in innocent dog-walkers in the neighbourhood.

“Hey, no,” Mythra says petulantly and points at the laptop screen. Nia hisses because _don’t touch the screen_ with your _cheese-dusty_ fingers you absolute _buffoon_ , and Mythra says, “That article right there says I’m a superhero. Superheroine, whatever. We’d be a team of _superheroes_.”

“They’re talking about Pyra.”

“Yeah? Do the reporters know that? No? _And_ I made the costume,” Mythra says, huffing. “That’s at least 15% credits to me, that outfit is becoming _iconic_.”

Nia doesn’t answer because it’s taking too long for her to find a snappy comeback. The Aegis outfit _does_ make Mythra look very… dashing. Knight in shining Kevlar. “Maybe,” Nia allows grudgingly, and returns to looking at the news. A _team_. Guh.

“And I’d get to boss people around, as the obvious leader of that team, which is another-“

“Shut up,” Nia tells her, because she’s just found an article. TORNA HAS GONE TOO FAR – WE WILL NOT GIVE IN TO TERRORISTS.

They both read, Nia’s mood getting stormier with each sentence. What the fuck is this garbage nonsense? Taking _away_ the autonomy of the provinces? Because of Torna? Which shithead even suggested this complete insanity-

She wants to scream.

“They can’t do that.” Nia grits her teeth. “They _can’t_.”

“It’ll be fine,” Mythra tries to soothe.

Nia snaps, “No it won’t! Why are they doing this?”

The silence is damning. Nia slams her laptop shut and burrows into Mythra’s side, and Mythra starts petting her hair. Nobody says a thing. Nia seethes, and despairs, and seethes some more, and Mythra cards her fingers through her hair, and Nia lets her even though they’re fucking cheese-dusted.

She’s still Gormotti. She lived there her whole goddamn childhood, watched the whole political circus. And Gormott had it better than Torna, yeah, but she’s _not_ _going to let them do this_.

But she can’t stop it, what can she do, what-

(Mythra and Pyra can’t _get_ where Torna get their desperation from. Nia gets it better)

Nia wants to rage at something. Smash some expensive china. Instead she hisses, “Maybe Torna could use some help.”

Mythra, who has the worst case of selective hearing in Ardainian history, hears Nia’s selfish scared little snarl perfectly, and says, startlingly soft, “Don’t talk like that, baby.”

 _You don’t own me_! Nia almost starts a fight right there, but keeps it back. She really doesn’t want to fight with Mythra – they bicker and curse and mercilessly roast each other, but they don’t fight like this. Mythra is the one person Nia actively buries the instinct to go for the throat around, and she knows Mythra does something like that, too. Two angry stray cats who lash out at mostly everyone except each other (and Pyra and Rex, but they’re like teddy bears and are outliers who should not be counted).

…And maybe Nia’s talent would be wasted on Torna. They’re – terrorists. So she says to Mythra, “Your stupid team. What are you even gonna call yourselves?”

Mythra says, with no hesitation, “The Blades.”

…Nia supposes they could do a lot worse.

 

* * *

 

It’s dark and rainy tonight, but Poppi’s eyes glow like flashlights and if that’s not enough she can scan for heat signatures. The Nopon Mafia goon Poppi’s holding struggles in her grip, but Poppi is made of metal, so it’s not very effective! Really, the mafia goons are all pretty stupid once you’ve caught them.

“Thank you for cooperation!” Poppi says cheerfully. A cheerful voice is sure to calm down people, so had Tora said. “Now we wait for Ardainian Intelligence Agency-pon.”

The goon struggles harder and Poppi clenches her fingers until the goon starts to whimper. Creator-pon doesn’t really like it when Poppi intimidates people, but what Tora doesn’t know won’t hurt him!

“Keriri kill you!” the mafia-pon cries, revealing his name in the process. Poppi loves the Nopon dialect. “Let Keriri go! Keriri innocent, Keriri being held against will-“

“Keriri guilty of threat of murder just now!” Poppi says cheerily. “And Keriri leave paw prints on vault, AIA-pons not stupid.”

“It mistake!” Keriri is starting to sound increasingly desperate, as sirens start screeching in the background. Of course it’s not the AIA, because they’re very discreet, but the ACPD also mean bad business for the mafia of the Argentum District. Poppi however knows, that unfortunately the ACPD are too cowardly to venture very far into the district, so the Nopon Red Pollen Mafia has free reign of the area. And that’s a rather big problem, you understand?

“Poppi always right,” Poppi tells Keriri. “And here come AIA-pons!”

“Good evening,” Niranira says, jumping out of one of the two nondescript cars that just came to a halt on the curb next to Poppi and Keriri. His chauffeur, a big human in a suit, steps out after him.

“Hello!” Poppi says, and waves with the hand she’s not holding Keriri with. “Poppi captured guilty-pon of Paron case.”

Keriri turned out to be a highly incompetent nopon, but Poppi is always proud of a job finished nevertheless.

“Much thanks, Poppi!” Niranira says, and his chauffeur steps forward to put wing-cuffs on Keriri, who has started babbling. Poppi is glad to be rid of him. “Paron case finally resolved, but there still Dead Ardainian Journalist case, and find out who give mafia so much cash…”

“Where cash even come from?”

“Niranira not know! AIA not know! Nobody know. Keep eyes and ears open, Poppi.”

“Aye, aye,” Poppi says. Then Niranira, his chauffeur and their prisoner all get back into the cars and drive away. Poppi watches them go, silently staring into the rain. Her sensors detect a humanoid shape with normal human body temperature hanging out on the roof right above her, but Poppi figures it’s not a threat.

Her comm crackles then, and Tora asks, “ _Niranira not know where mafia got cash?”_

“Nobody know,” Poppi says. “It very fishy.”

“Meh meh…” Tora goes quiet too. Their partnership works like this: Tora listens in on what she does, and if she runs into a problem where she needs information from elsewhere, Tora researches it for her. Tora, as her creator, maintains her body and Poppi uses it to hit people, fly, and break open doors for the AIA. Together they fight the mafia in the Argentum District, because superheroes are the new cool thing in town.

And because Tora desperately wants to be useful, but Poppi doesn’t hold that over him! Robots are more perfect than organics, that’s just the way it is.

“Hey!” comes a sudden shout, and Poppi looks up, and then a girl jumps down from the next door soup-store’s low roof, landing in front of Poppi. The girl wears a hoodie with hearts sewn onto it and a pair of enormous goggles: it’s Big Bang. Not a threat, just like Poppi thought. “How’s it going?” she asks, friendly.

“It going alright!” Poppi cocks her head. “Friend want something?”

“You’ve been invited to join our brand new super-confidential superhero club!” Big Bang throws up her hands in a very grand and unnecessary gesture. “Or okay, to be honest we’ve both been invited to join the _Aegis’_ superhero club. You want in? Please say you do.”

 _“This sound good!”_ Tora says in Poppi’s head.

“Sound like fun!” Poppi agrees. “Poppi and Creator-pon would happily join.”

“Awesome!” Big Bang slaps Poppi’s hand. “Now you’re a _Blade_ , so c’mon, follow me…”

 

* * *

 

 

**-Three years ago-**

“…You dyed you hair?”

Pyra heard the unspoken ‘why the fuck’ loud and clear. She said, “Yeah. I looked too much like you.” _And dad_. “…And scarlet fits me, right?” She turned her head a bit, waiting for her sister’s approval.

“I guess…” Mythra frowned. “You’ve never had an issue with looking like me before.”

“I - I just wanted a new look, if we’re moving to Alba Cavanich and all.” Oh, what a terrifying exhilarating thought. Alba Cavanich, the jewel of the Ardainian Empire, inhabited by three _million_ people. Out here in the wastes the biggest towns had a measly three thousand inhabitants, so Alba Cavanich seemed like an abstract concept of more, bigger, tougher, shinier. And the blood-red colour Pyra had picked for her hair – she was going to be much more noticeable now. And she was going to deal with it, she was going to make it work, she was _proving_ herself to… herself. Always.

Greater, stronger, flashier.

Mythra always did what she wanted and said exactly what she thought, while Pyra… was there. Pyra liked cooking and staying inside and wearing fuzzy socks. Pyra didn’t – she didn’t even know when she got so shy, but now even that was passing by. She could light her hands on fire, she could melt metal with her fingertips, she could hold her hands over a candle and feel nothing, she could take the flame right from the wick and make it live. She was _more_.

She was growing up and she wanted to feel like it.

“We’re going to be living in the city,” Mythra said to the air. “Going to school and getting into debt.”

Pyra agreed silently, and they both stared out through the window, at the empty desert that surrounded their house. Dad’s house, now, because they would move out in a few weeks. And then it’d be just them on their own.

 

 

* * *

 

In the finest tradition of people who try to keep a secret club, they meet up at night. They pick one of the empty warehouse fire hazards close to old town, and then the Aegis waits with Lady for the others to arrive. Flamebringer makes a floor-length cloak and matching blindfold look like haute couture as she strides in, right on time, and a few minutes later Big Bang and Poppi rush in together, the robot glowing faintly in the dusk and clattering enormously.

Pyra takes a bracing breath and says, “And that’s everyone.”

“Welcome!” Lady exclaims. It’s a bit on the sarcastic side, but Pyra is mostly grateful she even decided to join.

They find a rickety old table and gather around it, the robot’s chair creaking alarmingly as she sits down. Pyra finds herself at the head of the table, everyone, even Flamebringer, looking to her as the leader. Because she _is_ the leader, since it was the Aegis who decided to actually start this up, even if it wasn’t her idea. And because the Aegis is the most famous of them all.

“I’m the Aegis,” she says, to the table. “And we’ll be the _Blades_.”

“I’m Lady,” Lady says next. “I’m here as a favour.”

“I’m Flamebringer,” Brighid says. “And I chose to be here, because I believe that a team of vigilantes can do more than a single lone hero.”

“Oh, that’s really inspiring!” Big Bang chuckles. “I’m Big Bang, and me and Poppi – and Tora by extension I suppose – are here because it’s no fun fighting alone, there’s no point in that. That’s why I wanted this in the first place! _And_ I agree with Flamebringer.”

Pyra nods. Those are exactly the points she would’ve made herself – and maybe a few additional ones. She’s got this. _They’ve_ got this.

“Poppi have question,” the robot then says, waving her hand.

“Yes?”

“Will Blades use code names always?”

It’s a perfectly innocent question, but. The Blades all look at each other (except for Brighid, who can’t see) in a tense silence.

Poppi taps the side of her head and then there’s a Nopon voice speaking. _“Tora think it not fair if other Blades have code names but not Tora and Poppi.”_

Lady says, “Then pick a fake name, what’s the big deal?”

“Poppi not want code name,” Poppi says.

“That’s perfectly valid,” Big Bang says. “You go, girl!”

“Alright,” Pyra says, loudly. “We’ll use code names, except for Poppi, who doesn’t want one.” Nobody objects. Pyra resolves to let Mythra handle the next meeting, and says, “Next, we’re going to have to figure out how we want to do things…”

They talk, as a group. Eventually they’ll be a proper team, Pyra’s sure. But right now, everyone is still trying to figure out how in Alrest things are going to work around here. And Pyra is the one who’ll have to handle it all, being the leader – together with Mythra. But only Lady and Flamebringer even _know_ about that, in the whole city it’s only _two_ people that the Aegis has dared to tell (oh, Rex…), and Pyra – thinks she’ll have to tell Big Bang, Poppi and her boss eventually. But not yet. Not right now.

There’s other things to worry about at the moment…

“That new law the Emperor is trying to get passed? Torna are going to be completely _livid_ after it-“ Big Bang says, and then Lady interrupts.

“It’s not going to pass. It can’t possibly. They’re just making a fuss because of that stupid Senator’s daughter.”

“But if it _does_ -“

“Torna are going to be unbearable either way,” Flamebringer cuts in. “Face it.”

“They’ll probably do something big,” Pyra agrees. _Please don’t_. “And when that happens, we can handle it _together_.” Which – actually makes her feel better about things. Why should the villains be the only ones to have a team? This is going to level the score, this is – if everything goes well – going to turn the tide. This, being a team, could make a difference.

Pyra really wants to be hopeful about this.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to try and update as much as possible, which can mean almost anything.  
> A comment means the world to me! <3

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [One Punch Salvager](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18716287) by [Aheroforfun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aheroforfun/pseuds/Aheroforfun)




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